Of Oceans and Pirates
by Calmer of the Storm
Summary: When the notorious Pirate Captain Scar rips apart everything Hikari has known, she must plunge herself into a world that is not her own. She must do everything she can to find her best friend, but after a decade of waiting and searching, is she too late?
1. Prologue

Calmer of the Storm: Wow. I think I'm REALLY going to shoot myself for this. But I was watching POTC 2 today…it was on TV and I was like 'I really like pirates…' and then I remembered a manga that I read a while back called 'Wanted' which is about pirates, though it's quite short. And recently I've been reading (children's novels again…but they're well-written! I promise!) _Vampirates_ by Justin Somper. So…yeah. I think this says something about me and my lack of creativity. I think for almost all of my stories I've borrowed from somewhere else…oh well. I suppose you can't be good in every department of writing, right? Haha…give me an idea and I can expand on it, just don't expect me to come up with anything on my own.

Just a note…the characters are going to be slightly OOC. Mostly because I had to work them to fit my ideas, but the OOCness will be explained. At least, I think it will be pretty evident why…if not, well, maybe it's just cause I'm the author and I think things are more apparent than they really are. Lol.

WELL…with that being said…-sigh- I DO NOT own Digimon. Never have, never will. And, due to my obvious lack of creativeness, be glad that I don't. Haha. I don't own _Vampirates_ or 'Wanted' or Pirates of the Caribbean, for that matter. I begin writing this now unsure if I'll ever post it…well, we'll see how this goes. This is the prologue, at least.

~*~

**Of Oceans and Pirates**

By: Calmer of the Storm

_Prologue_

She was just a normal girl. Always she had lived in the shadow of her older brother; her bigger, smarter and obviously better older brother. At least, that was what the adults thought. Taichi would go places. He had some maturing to do of course, but he was a mere fourteen years old. He had the curse of adolescence with which to defend himself, which thus offered an excuse for anything deemed inappropriate behaviour for a young gentleman. They saw how he had raised his sister, and he was the sole heir to the Yagami family inheritance. Their parents had died of disease when he was ten, and so it was he who had to take on the surrogate role of raising his little sister, who had been exhibiting signs of the same illness. They said she was young and strong, though, that she would pull through it. They said it was because of him; because of the strength and the will that he had.

But the siblings knew better. Taichi knew his shortcomings, though he was still quite young himself. He knew he had to care for his sometimes-ailing sister. He knew that it was his responsibility. And he loved the girl with everything in him; she was all he had left. If anything were to happen to her…the boy did not know what he would do. He knew that his sister had an undying devotion to him, just as he did to her. At six years old she had been forced to understand things that no child should have to. She had been forced to grow up, just like he had. But Taichi hadn't handled it as well as her. He resented the fact that his childhood had been ripped away from him, that at the age of twelve he'd had to make decisions that only a man such as the one his father used to be would. But there was no such resentment in Hikari. She was innocent and pure, despite her mature outlook on the world.

They said he was smarter because he was older and because he was a boy. They said he was stronger, that he would be able to fully handle the weight of the prestige his family name would have for him the moment he became of age. But Taichi knew better. He knew that, despite her youth, Hikari was wise beyond her years. Her childish innocence allowed for a view of life that not even he could comprehend. Despite this innocence he knew that she was not naïve. She was stronger than he was, able to take the things that the world threw at her with a grace and countenance that many adults he knew could not even pretend to have. Taichi knew that his sister was more capable, that she was more worthy. But the world would never see it that way, simply because she was a girl.

Things might have been different, however, had they not been taken under the wing of another wealthy family. The governor, who had been in close confidence with the Yagami siblings' own parents, had opted to take them in. He'd had two boys of his own, the fair-haired children the same ages as those he sought to bring to his own home. Governor Ishida was a well-respected man, known for his wealth and his stern yet fair rule over his people. The older of his two sons, Yamato, would eventually take over his rule. The boy had known this his whole life, and had therefore adopted an attitude that seemed to scream that he knew this. There was a forced air about him, one that he tried to project that said he didn't want it. He was a rebel, but not the dangerous kind. He was the silent rebel, throwing icy glares at his father whenever things did not go as he had previously planned. Quickly the boy was learning the ways of the adult world.

That is, until a slightly more carefree Taichi had come into the picture. As they were the same age, and both heirs to a great fortune, they were automatically stuck together. It was expected of them that they would become the best of friends. But they were too different. Yamato could not handle the impulsive nature of the wild-eyed boy, and Taichi could not handle the stoic one of his counterpart. The stretching and the growing was far too much for either of them to handle. Yamato had thought Taichi too immature for his own good, and he simply rubbed him the wrong way. Maybe it was the way that people naturally flocked to him…they hung on his every word. He quickly became a leader within the household that Yamato had held sway over for so long.

As the years when by, however, it was difficult to ignore the fact that the two had grown quite close. Despite all odds, for they were almost exact opposites in every way, they had become friends. Their friendship was a bond that transcended the superficial and even some of the deepest of friendships. They balanced each other out; the calculating Yamato and the whimsical Taichi.

It was these things that neither of them would admit, as Hikari would later find out. Where Yamato was the opposite of her brother, she seemed to be the piece that completed him. She was the quiet voice of reason, an external extension of his conscience. She was Taichi's soft spot, and she knew it quite well. And yet she would never take advantage of this, knowing that her brother had already done more for her than should have ever been asked of him. It was why she spent so much time with the younger Ishida, the boy called Takeru.

It is around these two that this tale revolves.

While their brothers were off doing 'grown up' things, the younger siblings were left to behave as they pleased. Takeru would inherit some fortune, of course, but he would never be elevated to the status of his elder brother. He did not have the same pressures and expectations, and so he was allowed to live a simpler lifestyle. The boy loved his brother and strived to be just like him; Yamato was strong, so Takeru had to be too. And now that Hikari was in his life, he had to be strong for her as well. Little boys had to protect little girls. It was just the way things went.

At first, things between them had been strange. The six-year-old girl was shy, and the six-year-old boy pretended to be. As her brother left her he watched with wide, cerulean eyes as she practically folded herself inwards. Her head was down and her hands were clutched tightly around a rather sorry-looking doll, one that she had obviously toted around for quite some time. He would later learn that it was the last thing her mother had given to her. Hikari did not want to let go of her parents anymore than she had to. And so Takeru would never make fun of her for carrying it with her wherever she went, and he would also defend her when others tried to.

This was their relationship; from the beginning he had been her protector. His sincere and more outgoing nature was comfortable for her, and she found the boy to be a safe place. It wasn't so hard to leave her brother's side anymore, not when Takeru was around.

The little boys and the little girl grew older, their relationships among each other growing and stretching as only relationships can do. But it was when Hikari and Takeru were ten, and Taichi and Yamato were fourteen, that things suddenly changed.

Life can change in the blink of an eye; nobody knew that better than Hikari and Taichi. What Hikari didn't know was that her constant, her safe-harbour, would yet again be torn from her grasp.

Looking back, Hikari knows it was foolish. They weren't supposed to be out late at night; Takeru's father was a well-known man among high society, and a powerful one at that. This meant that he was also quite the target for those who wished to exist under the law without penalty. It did not help that the vibrant colour of the boys' hair and eyes made it easy to distinguish just who their parents were.

That night, though, Takeru had insisted that he needed to show her something. Sneaking into her room he had roused her from her light slumber, holding her hand the whole way. He hadn't even allowed for her to get changed out of her nightgown. They had to do this quickly, he'd said, before someone noticed they were gone.

Hikari had to admit; the rush was exhilarating. Always she had lived beneath the confines of rules and regulations, never finding a need to break them. The prospect of doing so scared her half to death. She knew it did for Takeru too; he had a keen sense of right and wrong like no other she had met. Because of this she knew that if he were going to break the rules, he must have good reason for it.

He had dragged her outside the walls of the mansion, and away from the gate that separated them from the outside world. The sky was brilliantly lit with millions of stars; she'd never seen it like that before. But it was not this that he wished to show her. At least, it wasn't the full extent of it all. They stopped in an open field; a hill that overlooked the ocean. It had taken a while to get out there, but Hikari was no longer afraid. Dropping her friend's hand, the girl took a step forward to marvel at the sight before her. It was a field of white lilies, their petals enhanced by the glowing moon and the dancing stars. Of all the clothes spun in the world, no one was dressed as elegantly as a lily. With the inky black ocean in the background over the crest of the hill, the tiny fireflies that blinked as they flew around the lilies looked like stars that had removed themselves from their spot in the sky to grace the earth with their presence. It was truly a beautiful sight, one that really couldn't happen on a night that was cloudy.

Turning back to the boy behind her, Hikari noticed that he was not there. He had darted off into the field, and she saw that he was chasing after the glowing bugs. It was like catching a star, he'd said. He wanted to get one for her. And then he would get one for himself, too, so that her star would never get lonely. The girl saw that he was having enough trouble catching her own star, and decided that maybe she should help him out and catch his for him.

It was more difficult than it looked, catching one of these tiny, floating stars. Neither had been successful, and so Takeru settled for picking a silk-spun lily from the ground. It was in the shape of a star, he told her, but would only glow in the moonlight. That was okay; it was all the star she needed. Hikari knew that she would cherish this star, just as much as she still, even now, cherished the doll that her mother had given to her so long ago.

The night was not getting any younger, and the two knew that they would probably be in enough trouble as it was. Turning, they saw the lights in the mansion were lit. They had been found out, then.

The sound of something in the distance stopped them for a moment. Cannon fire. It was at this point that they both realised that the lights in the house were not simply due to their absence. Something was amiss. Grabbing Hikari's hand, Takeru began to run. They had to get back. He didn't know what it was, but he wasn't going to let it take her.

They made it over the next ridge, ready to make a beeline towards where they had escaped from the fortress-mansion in the first place. It was here that the two children saw what had happened. In the harbour down below they could see the shape of a dark and eerie ship outlined against the dim lights. Pirates. The cannons raged, and the shouting carried up to where the pair was standing.

Takeru was struck with an urgency he knew he had to act upon; he knew they had little time. Something told him that the pirates were smarter than to just enter the harbour and start blasting things. No, they were much, much more cunning than that. They were already stalking the land, looking for treasure and other things that pirates looked for.

Home was in sight. They could see the loose rocks in the wall where they had climbed over. Once there they would be safe.

A scream and a sudden jerk on his arm caused Takeru to stop. Turning around he saw that they were no longer alone. Hikari, still clutching the lily he had given her, was now within the grasp of a large, burly pirate. Fear was evident in her wide crimson eyes. His massive hand covered her mouth, silencing any more sound that she had in her. She looked so small and fragile in the man's arms; Takeru knew he had to be careful. He didn't want him to break her.

There was no weapon to threaten the bigger man with, but Takeru would try. He rushed at him, but was stopped by another set of hands. In his struggle he saw that it was actually two sets of hands; both of them locking around his arms like iron cuffs.

Hikari was aware only of the man who held her; his painful grip and his stench. She was aware of Takeru being held in the same way. Breathing was becoming difficult; her vision began to blur. Then it became dark and blotchy. She heard the rough voices of them men, catching only a few coherent phrases.

The next thing she knew, Hikari was being let go. The fall to the ground was longer than she'd thought, and she let out the sound that had been held back in her lungs. The girl didn't have the strength to hold herself up, and she saw as they carried her friend away. She was aware of one thing; he was gone. These pirates had carried him off, probably because they recognised him to be the governor's son. He would be ransomed, then. And she knew that Governor Ishida would not give into their demands. Takeru was his beloved son, but not the most important one. The demands that would be made would be much too big. Takeru would die. Her rock, her hiding place…it was gone. And she could have done something to prevent it.

The only thing she came away from the experience was a name; the name of the notorious pirate, Captain Scar.

~*~

Ten years had passed since that day. The only thing left she had of her friend was the lily he gave her, which she tried so hard to preserve. The only thing she had of it now were tiny fragments, the petals mostly crushed and inserted into a small pouch that she was never without. Something had told her that her friend was not dead. At the age of sixteen, Hikari had had enough. Her brother had made his way into the world he had been born into, and they were pushing her to find someone to marry. Still she dwelled within the governor's house, for it was the only place she could call home. The place that still had some reminders of _him_. They had all lost hope, but she hadn't. She _wouldn't_ lose hope. Not until she knew for certain. The demands for ransom had not been met, and so they assumed the bright young boy to be dead.

So she set out, leaving only a note for her older brother. She would come back someday, after she found him. Dead or alive, she had to find him. Something drew her to do it; she needed him. She needed to see him. Nothing short of knowing exactly what had happened to him would still the turmoil in her heart.

Four years she had searched, on top of the six she had waited at home. No one knew a thing of the little boy named Takeru who was the governor's son. Memories in the pirate world were short, she was quickly learning, though whether that was due to choice or alcohol she didn't know. She had taken on the guise of a boy, knowing that being a girl would get her nowhere, or perhaps into a place she did not wish to be.

Four years and she was beginning to lose hope. How was she supposed to find him, if no one was willing to help her? The subject of the Captain Scar was almost entirely forbidden; he was a legend on the seas. No one crossed him. Making a simple inquiry into his whereabouts was likely to get one killed. Fortunately for her there was at least some sort of compassion in this world, no matter how thin and fickle it ran. But Hikari had always been good at listening.

Finally, that listening had paid off. She had recognised him the moment she caught sight of him; not because she remembered seeing what he looked like, but because she'd heard what they said. Eyes as blue as the sea he commanded, hair as vibrant as the sun. But it was the scar, the one that ran across his back, over his right shoulder and down the length of his arm that distinguished him for what he was. She recalled seeing this scar the moment she laid eyes on it; it had been on one of the hands that had grabbed Takeru that night so long ago. Somehow she had made her way onto his ship, and she was now working for him. He was younger than she would have expected; he had been young ten years ago too. But maybe piracy did that to a person. And there was a sort of age that was visible only in his eyes, if one dared to look at them for long enough.

She held the rank of an ordinary seaman, for though she had searched she had not remained for long on any given ship. They knew her as Hikaru, the name to which she had responded for the last four years. It was a miracle that she'd managed to pull it off for so long, though sometimes she suspected that these men weren't as stupid as they seemed. Perhaps they were much too concerned with their lifestyles…and, as she had learned quickly, expendable crewmen were always desired. But she wasn't here to be 'expended'. She was on a mission, and she wasn't going to stop until it was fulfilled. And she was closer to finding Takeru that she ever had been before.

~*~

Calmer of the Storm: Ok. So I stole the pirate name from 'Wanted'. I honestly tried for like, half an hour to think of a good name. I even searched wikipedia. Didn't work.

So tell me what you think! The rest of the story will have more dialogue and whatnot…this was just the beginning. The set-up, prologue…whatever. The boring bit xD. Should I continue? Not sure if I really want to…haha. Don't know what I've gotten myself into here. This was definitely a spur-of-the-moment thing, but if you guys want it, I'll keep writing.

Heck, knowing me, I'll fell compelled to keep writing anyways. Haha. Nonetheless, let me know!!


	2. Revelations

Calmer of the Storm: I must be really insane. At any rate, that insanity has carried me through to finish up to half of chapter four. I'm trying to keep up to date with this thing so that I don't pull another stunt like I did with 'A Stitch in Time', where the story took me so freaking long to complete that my writing took a drastic turn. Haha. Oh well.

To be honest I'm not totally happy with the way this chapter turned out; I found it rather choppy and unrefined, but I couldn't figure out a way to fix it. Oh well, can't be perfect all the time, right? Lol...j/k. Well, enjoy!

~*~

_Chapter One: Revelations_

One week. That was how much time she had already spent on the ship. And she was nowhere closer to finding her friend than when she had begun. Seeing as she was at the bottom of the chain, she had mostly been assigned cleaning duty. Well, it wasn't kitchen duty. That was something she wasn't sure she could handle. At least she was mostly left alone; the higher ranking crew just walked by her as if she wasn't even there. And that was fine with her, because she didn't particularly feel like talking to anyone. Listening had always been her forte.

One thing she had learned, though, was that the illustrious Captain Scar was more elusive than she would have thought. He did not eat with the crew. He did not spend time on the deck with them. He was above the menial chores and ship maintenance. He had his own elite circle, it seemed, and he stuck to it. Hikari was beginning to wonder if he was really all that powerful at all; with this circle around him, he didn't need the power. As long as they respected him and did what he said, the captain would be fine. As soon as they turned on him, though, things would be over.

And he certainly didn't talk to lowly seamen such as her. She had only caught a glimpse of him a few times. His long, golden hair was tied in a low ponytail at the back of his head, and his striking blue eyes could pierce into the heart of even the strongest man. Maybe that was why they respected him so much. Once she had met his gaze, and she felt herself cowering beneath it. Desperately she had wanted to look somewhere else, but she had been unable to. There was something about him…something that drew others in. In those brief moments that their eyes had met, Hikari had been sure that she'd been found out. But he then passed by her like nothing had happened; as if she didn't even exist.

And she knew things weren't going to change, as long as she stayed at this rank. But moving up was difficult; this crew didn't have such a high turnover rate as one might have thought. As terrible as his reputation was, Captain Scar kept his crew alive.

~*~

The night was young, by pirate standards, but Hikari wasn't enjoying it. She had been elected among those who were to stay behind and watch the ship, though she wasn't complaining. Brothels and taverns were not places she liked to be. Especially given that she was a woman, though they still didn't know that. It had been surprisingly easy to keep her true identity a secret. It was a pirate ship; everyone was dirty and smelly and no one cared if you didn't bathe. They lived on the open waters of the sea, so there wasn't anywhere to bathe anyways, short of the captain's quarters and the shower room in the deepest part of the ship. But, after looking at it once, Hikari had been convinced that one would end up dirtier afterwards then when they had come in. But she had thrown away her feminine qualities when she entered this world in the first place. Though she longed to go back to it, she would never rest until she found out what had happened to Takeru.

It was times like this, though, that caused her to fall into a state of despair. The night was still and quiet, save for the sounds of shouting and out-of-tune music drifting up from the heart of the pirate city. It was the City of Rustico; the kind of place where there was no law. Not a place for a stray woman by any means. This was the only downfall that watching the ship had; it was dull and boring, and her mind would often wander.

Ten years it had been since she'd seen him. Ten long, and even agonising years. It had irked her greatly when his own family had left him for dead, and then had moved on like he hadn't ever existed. She knew it was only customary and practical, but she still didn't like it. Takeru had been her fuel; her hope for a better life. And it was only as she grew older, and his absence created more of a hole within her heart, that she realised she had been in love with him. Or maybe she had fallen in love with him in his absence. Either way, she couldn't just leave him for dead like the rest of them had. If they said he was dead, she would need to see his grave. It was the only thing that would give her true rest.

But sometimes, like right now, even that was difficult. Her mind went to all the places she wished she was; at home, among gardens and good food and a room full of books. Maybe the cat Miko would be curled at her feet. It was times like this that made her think that maybe Takeru was gone after all. Maybe, if he was alive, he didn't _want_ to be found. Wouldn't he have tried to contact them? And if he was alive? Surely such a man would have a family. If the boy he had been was any indication of the man he would become, then Hikari knew that he would not remain on his own for long. There were plenty of women out there; noble and fair women who would be far more deserving of his hand than she. He had been her hope, and for ten years she had lived without it. It was difficult, oftentimes, not to fall into the trap that she was in now without him to pull her out of it. Maybe he would never be there to pull her out again. Maybe-

A sudden sharp pain in her shoulder caused her thoughts to cease. Vaguely she was aware of a bang that had accompanied it, though it hadn't registered in her mind until now. The shock of it caused her mind to spin and the world around her to grow suddenly blotchy. The next thing she knew, everything went black.

~*~

He'd been having a good time. Of all the nights for there to be an attack, it had to be this one. Captain Scar had been none-too-pleased when a crew member of his came dashing into the tavern, shouting frantically that they were under attack.

"C'mon, men! We got ourselves a mess to clean up." He had shouted, shaking off the woman on his arm. She hadn't really been that important to him anyways; he didn't even know her name. Just a barmaid who was less annoying than the rest of them were.

Captain Scar did not run. Instead he merely sauntered towards the ship, pistol in hand. It was probably a group of drunkards who thought they could take him on. Alcohol did that to people. It was why he never had too much of the stuff unless he was in a safe environment; couldn't have people taking advantage of him.

As he drew closer he could see that they were on the deck, swords flailing and gunshots ringing through the night. Yep, they were definitely drunk. He could easily distinguish the attackers from his crewmen; his crewmen were the better and more refined fighters, though that wasn't saying much. Half of them were drunk most of the time to begin with.

Raising his pistol, he took aim at a man standing on the railing. Why he was up there, Scar would never know, but he wouldn't be up there for long. The man fell from his perch and landed in the water with a splash, and Scar moved on. Once he boarded the ship, he saw that the deck was littered with bodies, maybe a half dozen or so. He didn't see anyone he recognised, which was always a good thing. Recruiting more members to the crew was always a chore, and he didn't want to spend anymore time on land than he had to.

There were only a few of them left now, and they had been backed into a corner at the bow of the ship. Drawing his sword, Scar stepped towards them. As he suspected, he could smell the whisky on their breath.

"Thought you'd have yerselves a little fun, eh?" He began, his tone indicating that he was clearly not impressed.

"We jus' tired of whut you do ta us! 'Sides, we be gettin' a good bounty if we bring in yer head."

Scar sighed; obviously they had forgotten that in bringing in his head they would also be forfeiting their own. Piracy was illegal, and these idiots had that profession branded all over their bodies. Well, if they wanted to die so badly, he would help them out a little.

"Get rid of them. I'm tired of this." He then turned and walked away, leaving the disposal to his crew.

Ignoring the scene behind him, Scar went back down to the main deck. Already there were less bodies on board than there had been before, the rest of them dumped into the sea. He noticed one of the crew picking up a smaller body, though he didn't toss it overboard with the rest of them. After closer inspection, Scar realised that it was one of his own.

"Must'a got shot afore this whole thing started. 'E's alive, though. Should I bring 'im to the Doc?"

Knowing that he wasn't particularly in the mood for clean up tonight, Scar shook his head. "I'll do it."

Without protest the other man handed the boy over.

The way to the infirmary wasn't that long, however it was long enough for Scar to notice a few things. He knew this boy had joined them a month ago. He was quiet and kept to himself, and therefore didn't cause any trouble. Hikaru, he thought his name was. This was the kind of man Scar wanted for cleaning duty; one that didn't complain. He looked quite young though, maybe sixteen. He did not have the sharp lines of manhood on his face. He recalled meeting the boy's eyes once; the wide and innocent auburn ones. The red bandana that kept his chestnut hair in one place was coming off, but it was covered in blood now anyways and would be useless. Apparently the boy had been lying in a pool of his own blood before they got to him. He was alive, though, which was always a good thing. Scar liked to keep his crew alive.

The door to the infirmary was opened with a kick, and the old man who was the doctor looked up with an almost bored look on his face. He seemed used to this. There was another man in there as well; the cook had come in for a visit. The two of them were brothers, and they had been on this ship for even longer than Scar had. He respected them both, but had odd ways of showing it.

"Heard the noise up on deck. 'Nother raid?" the cook spoke up.

"Yep. Some drunkards decided it would be fun to take over."

"Oh, good. It wasn't the navy dogs, then."

Scar smirked, "No, of course not. We'd be gettin' outta here if it was."

"Whassat there?" It was the doctor now.

"Kid got shot, needs a little patching up."

"Throw 'im up 'ere, then."

And so Scar did, and his movements were not at all gentle. It was just a seaman, and he wasn't near death. It had most likely been his first fight and the shock of the pain had probably caused him to pass out.

The doctor began his work. At first he cut away at the material where the wound was, hoping to at least salvage some of his clothing. But as he went through it, it was evident that such a feat would not be possible. "'E's cut pretty deep. Bullet's prolly still in there. Jus' gotta get it out. He'll need a new shirt, though. This ones dun fer."

And so the shirt would have to come off.

Hikari was suddenly aware of something as she felt someone tugging at her shirt. She then heard the sound of tearing, and she realised that it wasn't the first time in the last few moments. But this tearing caused her some alarm, and her eyes shot open in shock.

The doctor noticed, and not stopping with his work, said, "Now you just hang on there, laddy. Everythin's gonna be….oh."

Hikari stared into the surprised eyes of the doctor, and was suddenly aware that there were still two others in the room. With her good hand she reached for the tattered cloth that was once her shirt in a vain effort to cover herself. Her face had gone a bright red colour, as she realised the full extent of what was going on. Always she had been a conservative short, so to have born all to a room of three strange men was not sitting well with her.

Captain Scar stood in the shadows. The light of the lamps flickered off his face, and something set into his eyes. It was a girl, then. Clenching his jaw, he suddenly looked very angry. "Once _she_ is cleaned up, I would like you to send _her_ to my chambers." And with that he turned and stalked out, clearly upset by this experience.

Hikari could only watch him go, the sound of the door slamming behind him causing her to flinch. Now she was in for it. Pirates didn't like women on their ships; they weren't as strong as men. And if Scar was the man they said he was, she knew she was dead. Well, maybe she could at least get what happened to Takeru out of him. Then maybe her death wouldn't be in vain.

~*~

Hikari found herself standing in front of the Captain's door. He was behind it, she knew, and with him was her imminent death. Her arm had been bound into a sling, after the bullet removed from her shoulder, and the doctor had given her a new shirt. The cook remained in there the whole time, and she thought she glimpsed something odd from him. On his right arm she thought she saw a deep, thick scar. It extended up and disappeared into his shirt, almost like the one the captain had. But the captain's was much bigger, she knew, for it went up across his back. Accidents happened all the time, but there was no way the same one would happen twice. And the man was the cook, after all. Maybe it was a cooking accident.

But it was not these things that worried her as she stood there. It had taken a few moments for her to gather up the courage to actually knock. After she did so she could hear the footsteps behind the door, footsteps that were clearly slow and deliberate. He was prolonging her suffering as only a pirate would do. The door creaked as it opened, revealing the form of the pirate, whom she realised was much more imposing up close. The icey stare he gave her caused an involuntary shiver to run through her spine.

And yet…there was something almost familiar about it. Though his gaze was piercing, she couldn't help shake that she'd seen something like that before. Maybe it was because he had the same coloured eyes and hair as Takeru. Other than Yamato, Hikari had never seen this up close. But to compare the two…this pirate to her dear best friend…it was preposterous. Takeru was kind and gentle; this man was dastardly and cruel.

Without saying a word, the captain stepped back, motioning for her to come in. The door was closed behind her, and Hikari knew something was coming. Pirates were not nice men; she would probably be raped before she died. Maybe he would at least have the courtesy to wait until her wound was healed. Then again, he probably wouldn't. She had made him angry, after all.

So it surprised her when he walked towards the window of his chamber, keeping his back to her.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, though she could hear the bite in his tone. He was not happy.

"I'm looking for someone." No sense in hiding it now. This was the only man left who could tell her something about her beloved friend.

She was met by silence, and Hikari took it as a cue to continue.

"His name is Takaishi Takeru." She started, but there was no reaction from him. His silence had made her bolder, and Hikari suddenly felt the anger for him growing within her. There was no stopping it now. "You took him, ten years ago. Stole him from his family and his friends, from those who loved him. I want to know what happened to him."

There was more silence, and Hikari was about to explode. She seemed to have forgotten who she was dealing with.

This time, though, he answered. "What a loving family he had. Didn't even answer the ransom that was given. He was simply left to the pirates. They didn't even come looking for him."

"_I_ came looking for him. His father is the governor, which is why you took him in the first place. Of _course_ he wasn't going to answer it, but you probably knew that."

"It took you ten years to start looking for him?"

"I've searched for _four years_. You are a difficult man to find."

She could practically see the smirk on his face, though his back was still to her. "Six years, then, to come looking? What friend _you_ are."

That was it. Hikari was very angry now. "You have no idea what I've lived through! You're just a dirty pirate who cares only for himself. You took him from his family for his own gain, and I would like to know what you did with him."

The pirate captain wheeled around, the look on his face more menacing than she had seen yet. The look caused her to cower, and she took a step back towards the door.

"You are much too late, _dear_. Takeru is dead."

~*~

Calmer of the Storm: Okay! Chapter one for ya! So let me know what you think!!


	3. In the Jungle

Calmer of the Storm: Alrighty! Here's chapter two! I'm working on chapter five at the moment, which is pretty good for me. If I stay ahead, I'll get this done in decent time. I'm hitting a rut, though…didn't plan it out as well as I thought…haha. Oh well. I'll figure it out somehow. Enjoy!

~*~

_Chapter Two: In the Jungle_

'_Takeru is dead.'_

The words rang through her ears constantly; they had haunted her since their utterance. She didn't believe it. She couldn't. How could he be…dead? She was even hesitant to think the word. The notion was preposterous. He couldn't be. Hikari would know if this was true. Wouldn't she? Her connection with him had been strong. Their friendship had been genuine and deeper than she realised. It was something that, in his absence, had formed into love. At least, it had for her. And with a connection so strong, Hikari just _knew_ that she would know if something bad had happened to him.

Then again, maybe she was delusional. Maybe she had fabricated a one-sided relationship with a boy she really only barely knew. Maybe he wasn't interested in her. They had been ten years old the last time they saw each other. Maybe, as she had grown older, she had over-compensated for missing him so much. Maybe they hadn't ever really been that close at all.

It was this war that raged within her as she sat on a mat that was on the floor of the captain's chambers. He hadn't said much after revealing this information. In her shock, she had stared at him dumbly. No tears had come, for she hadn't exactly felt closure. He hadn't told her how her best friend had died. In fact, he hadn't said anything further about him. This could mean one of three things: first, Takeru had died as an insignificant part of the crew. Second, he had disappeared and Scar either knew nothing or hadn't cared to find out, and third, Takeru was still alive. She desperately hoped, no matter how futile it seemed, that it was the third option. But it was very difficult to have hope when the very thing had been torn away from her on that fateful day.

She hadn't left the Captain's quarters since their conversation. 'Women were only good for one thing, especially when they're on a ship', he'd said. She was here to relieve his boredom. To keep him company, to…satisfy him. Whatever he wanted to call it, it would amount to the same thing. But he hadn't tried anything. At present the captain was sleeping in his own, elaborate bed that was big enough for four people, while he had ordered a small mat and a blanket for her. She could hear the sounds of his breathing; at least he didn't snore. Well, he hadn't yet, at any rate.

Strangely enough, while she had been preparing her mat for sleep, Hikari had felt his eyes on her. He wasn't moving, and she didn't dare turn to face him. Her cheeks and ears burned crimson and her breathing quickened a fraction; she had been afraid that he would request she…join him. He had spent many nights in taverns and brothels during her one-month stay on the ship, and she dared not ask him about them. She then thought she heard a sigh, and then something along the lines of 'too scrawny' before she heard a rustling that indicated he had positioned himself for sleeping. Knowing that she had gotten off scot-free the first night, Hikari wouldn't push her luck.

Finally, though she knew it was quite late, sleep did find her.

~*~

In the morning she was roused as she usually was; the first mate clanging the bell to wake the crew to start another day. Momentarily forgetting that she was not in the bunker with the rest of the crew, she groaned and reached for her boots. When she couldn't feel them, her eyes were opened. It was still dark in the room, and any sound was muffled. She looked beyond the large bed and saw that the curtains had been drawn over the windows, allowing one meagre ray of sun to peak through. She shivered involuntarily as she remembered where she was.

All of a sudden, Hikari wasn't sure what to do. What was her place here now, now that she had been discovered? Surely the whole crew knew; secrets did not keep well on pirate ships. But she didn't want to stay here, not at the mercy of the captain. He had spared her last night, and she didn't trust him to do it again. So she would do as she always had; she would join the crew. Let her be punished for doing work. Death would be better than this.

Using her right arm, as she always did, Hikari pushed herself from the mat. As she did so she was reminded of the sharp pain and instantly crashed back to the mat. Her shoulder throbbed where the bullet had entered, and then where they had had to dig it out. During that process she was sure she would have much preferred to keep it there. But that was dangerous, she knew. Groaning, she rolled over to use her other arm.

"Where do you think you're going?" Came a gruff voice, one that had obviously not been used in a few hours.

Hikari felt her heart skip a beat; she had thought he was asleep. That bell could wake the dead, but it hadn't even caused the Captain to stir.

"T-to work, Captain." May as well keep on his good side, for the moment. Something told her he wasn't exactly a morning person.

She heard him shift; he was sitting up. "I don't think so. Have I not made it clear? You are to remain in my quarters unless otherwise specified."

The finality of his tone made it _very_ clear to her that doing anything other than what he said would be a bad idea.

Hikari sighed in resignation, the pain in her shoulder making it so that she did not feel like putting up a fight. "Yes, Captain." And then she flopped back over, carefully this time, and tried to get a little more sleep.

~*~

Apparently she had not gotten all that much sleep the night before, as Hikari realised now that she was once more waking up. The sun poured into the room now; the curtains had been pushed aside. Captain Scar was not around, and it didn't feel like the ship was moving. Rising she decided to take a look; at least this room had windows. Her shoulder still hurt, and so first she placed it in the sling the doctor had made for her.

Looking outside, she could see that the ship was indeed anchored. The water didn't look overly deep, for the usual green tint was much lighter. Hikari made her way towards the window that encased the front of the room, and she saw that they had stopped at an island. Why they were here, Hikari didn't know.

The sound of the door opening caused her to whirl around quickly. The captain slid through the opening, fully dressed in his more elaborate outfit. The bright colours and long cloak marked him for where he stood on the ship. The only thing visible of the scar that marked him for who he _was_, was the very end of it on his hand. This didn't make him any less intimidating; his eyes were still as ice.

"Get dressed, we're going outside." It wasn't a suggestion.

"Why?"

She saw as his jaw flexed and his eyes flashed; he did not like being questioned. Hikari swallowed, knowing she had done something wrong.

"Because I don't trust you to leave you here alone. Now hurry up; I have little patience."

With that he exited the room, as if being courteous enough to give her privacy, and Hikari instantly rushed to get her clothes on. She knew that, if she wasn't ready within his undefined time limit he would come barging back into the room whether she was dressed or not. And she was not the kind of woman who wanted to be seen with anything less than what was decent on, especially after what had happened yesterday. Sure enough, just as her borrowed shirt was pulled over her head, the door opened again. Stepping into her boots, she followed him without a word.

Hikari, the Captain, his first mate and a select few members of the crew all piled into a lifeboat. They were being rowed ashore, towards an island that, under other circumstances, would have been very beautiful for her. The emerald hills rose high above the clear, sea foam-coloured waters, and it was only a thick stretch of alabaster sands that separated them. To her far right she saw a stream that ran into the ocean, and far above that, somewhere in the rocky parts of the island, she thought she could make out a waterfall. It was inhabited, as far as she could tell.

That is, she thought, until they reached the island. On the beach was a line of people; people that had probably been there the whole time. They seemed to have materialised from the trees themselves. The dark-coloured clothing blended in well with the surrounding flora. The colour of their skin also made such hiding easy; it was dark as well. A beautiful bronze colour that she had never seen before, and the novelty of it had Hikari forgetting exactly where she was and who she was with. But it was the sudden jolt of the boat as it ran aground, and the shaking of the vessel as people jumped out of it, that brought her back to reality. Suddenly these people were not so fascinating; they were terrifying.

In her haste that morning, Hikari had neglected to put on her bandana. Vaguely she recalled leaving it in the infirmary, but there was no point in it now. The way that the crew had eyed her as she left with the captain told her that her jig was up. She didn't like being looked at like that; like she was a piece of meat and no longer a living, breathing human being. She had realised, though, that the Captain had not looked at her like that. It was very strange, and only slightly comforting.

The small group halted at a signal from the Captain, who then took a few more paces forwards. From her vantage point, Hikari could see the smirk on his face. Everything about him exuded confidence; even the air around him was different. The more time she spent with him, the more she understood why he was so feared and respected. Everything she had thought about him being weak and hiding behind those who supported him had been completely wrong. This man was what they claimed him to be.

Captain Scar looked over the people; they were not strangers to him. Once a month they made this journey, a journey to offer a trade. The men that greeted them now were not those whom he had business with; they were merely the watchmen, trained warriors of the rogue tribe. Impossible to deal with, it had once been said. No ships dared come near this place. But Captain Scar did. He had tamed even the wild beast that was the chief of this tribe.

Calling out to them in their own language, he gestured back towards the group behind him. Hikari's heart instantly leapt into her throat; she hoped that he hadn't been referring to her for anything. Maybe she was to be a sacrifice…maybe they needed something pure and that was why he hadn't touched her the night before…

She shook her head. No, that was only in stories. Only the Ancients had such traditions, and besides, how would he know if she was 'pure' or not? But, looking over the tribesmen in front of her, thinking about ancients gave her no comfort. These men could very well have survived in that time, too.

It was to her great relief, then, when some of the bigger crewmen hauled large sacs forward for the protectors to see. Hikari did not remember seeing these in the boat, but then again, she hadn't really been thinking about much other than just staying alive. They were loaded before she was, as she and the Captain had been the last ones on the small boat.

There was a rumble that went through the line in front of them, and suddenly they disappeared into the forest as quickly as they had come out. Hikari had to stare for a moment; surely these men could not turn invisible. But there wasn't much more time to dwell on it than that, for the Captain was moving and they were bidden to follow him.

Trekking through the jungle was not exactly Hikari's idea of how to spend her day. At this point, she wished that Captain Scar had simply locked her in his cabin. Didn't he have a key or something? Wasn't that what pirates did in all of the stories? Many of the legends revolved around this man himself; he seemed to be timeless. In seeing that he was as young as the day that Takeru had been taken, Hikari was beginning to believe that.

The Captain seemed to know where he was going. Despite the dense jungle and the fact that everything looked the same, he picked his way efficiently and easily through it all. He was tense, though, for he knew not to let his guard down. There were more dangerous things on this island than its human inhabitants, and _they_ were the ones that he could not control. They were the ones who knew this place better than anything else, and they were ancient enough to have the knowledge to snatch one of his crew without anyone else even knowing it. And so he must be a step ahead of that.

Soon enough, though, there was a break in the trees. Nestled within the heart of the jungle there was a small village. It was a primitive one, and it was clear that it had been there for many generations. The mud huts formed the centre, and there were larger huts on the outside. More bronze-skinned people emerged from these buildings, some dressed like the men in the forest, and others dressed relatively more casually. If one could call their clothing casual, that was. Hikari had never seen anything like it before; animal skin, it seemed, though she couldn't quite place the animal.

They did not stop even as they reached the concentration of huts; Hikari could see that they were headed towards a long building at the northern tip of the camp. The chief's hut, she was sure. Who else would Captain Scar be dealing with?

Sure enough, when they entered the building they were faced with a large man in warrior's clothing, for it was the same as the men they had seen on the beach, except that he wore an elaborate headdress made of coloured feathers and bone. What kind of bone, Hikari did not want to ask. But it looked eerily human…she'd heard somewhere, though, that pig anatomy was quite close to a human's. She would go with that one.

The bags were dropped on the ground, and Captain Scar took a step forward. Out of respect he bowed to the man that was chief, then proceeded to speak in that strange language, motioning towards the full sacs behind him. The bigger man, for he was solid muscle, peered around the Captain's suddenly very thin frame to see. With a wave of his hands two other men whom Hikari hadn't even seen stepped forward, pushing passed the Captain and looking inside of them. A few moments passed as they rummaged through them, and then they rose again and spoke to their chief. Taking a moment Hikari saw that in the sacs were trivial things; trinkets stolen from drunkards and lords. Watches, mugs, a woman's hairpins, scraps of fine linen and men's hats…a strange mix of things. She had noticed, though, that when Captain Scar's crew went pillaging, they took _everything_. It hadn't come to her attention until now.

What seemed to be sounds of satisfaction came from the chief, and he barked orders to the two men who had been inspecting the gifts. As Hikari had suspected, there was a trade. Two smaller bags were brought out, and she wondered what would be a fair trade for such an eclectic array of items. The Captain took the bags, inspecting them carefully. After a few moments he smiled in that way of his that was more like a taunting smirk, and nodded his head. With another bow, he spoke something that must have been along the lines of 'thank you', and he turned and walked out.

Hikari was, to say the least, thoroughly confused. Though she had been instructed to remain close to the Captain, she dropped back a few steps in order to fall in line with his First Mate. His name was Iori, and he was a small, quiet man. But she suspected, and judging by the scars that covered his own body, that he could hold his own. He was lithe-looking and his right arm was well-muscled; he must be very good with a sword. His brown eyes were always searching; always on the lookout for something that may not even be there. They had this faraway look to them that almost frightened her. But, despite all of these things, he was easier to talk to than the rest of them. He did not say much, which was perhaps what made her feel relatively comfortable around him.

"What was that all about?" She asked quietly. After she did so her gaze flickered to the Captain; he didn't appear to have heard.

It was a few moments before the man beside her responded. "A trade."

Hikari bit her lip; she _knew _that. It was just a matter of not saying something stupid. "What for?"

"Jewels."

Of course. What else would a pirate lord want?

To her surprise, the man continued. "There is a mine, deep in the jungle, that houses some of the world's rarest jewels. No one has access to it, for the locals guard their territory with a ferocity that is not matched. But they are fascinated with the outside world, and Captain Scar has been trading with them for decades. They do not trust him, of course, but he does them no harm and so they show him the same respect."

Hikari nodded in response; she supposed that it made sense. The rest of their trek was passed in relative silence.

That is, until the sound of metal on metal permeated the air. Hikari knew the sound very well now; it was that of a sword being drawn. Immediately it was followed by a rain of other such sounds. As she had been stuffed into the Captain's cabin, naturally all her weaponry had been taken from her as well. They had, of course, neglected to give anything back to her before leaving the ship.

It happened almost too quickly for her to realise it. There was a blur in front of her, and before she knew anything, Iori was on the ground. But it wasn't just him; there was a large, cat-like creature on top of him. It had picked him out as the easiest target, apparently, but it had chosen wrong. The next thing she saw was the thick blade of the man's cutlass as it pierced through the creature and protruded through its back.

But this was not the only one that attacked. The small group was on its own; the natives were not helping. She supposed that was part of the deal. They were not responsible for whoever decided to trespass on the territory of such creatures. Half a dozen or so others, she could not quite count exactly because they were moving so quickly, had joined in the fray. Judging by the slightly surprised faces in the group, this did not happen very often.

The Captain was fending two off on his own, and he was doing a fairly good job of it. For a moment Hikari was mesmerized by his motions; he was almost…beautiful. The fluid way in which his body moved and the obvious expertise that he had with the blade. It was poetic, even. More than she knew she would ever accomplish.

It was very difficult to stay out of the fight and yet stay within range of protection. With no way to defend herself, Hikari knew she was probably done for if this didn't end quickly. It didn't help that she was momentarily incapacitated; entranced by the movements of the horrid pirate captain.

"HIKARI!" Came the shout. And before she realised it was the Captain who had called out to her, she felt herself being thrown to the ground and crushed under the weight of one of the creatures.

Staring up into its feline face was probably the most terrifying thing she had ever seen in her life. Petrified by fear she laid beneath it, registering only the size of its canines and the smell of rotten flesh on its breath. This was it. She was done for. Maybe she _shouldn't_ have joined this crew; it was clear that her number was up. Since the captain had not finished her off, this creature would do the job for him. Once again, she gave a silent apology to her best friend.

Closing her eyes, she waited for the end. Pain ripped through her shoulder as the wound re-opened, but it was the least of her worries. At least that pain would be over soon, too.

But the pain didn't stop. Her end never came. The crushing weight was suddenly gone, and instinct drove her to quickly jump up from her spot on the ground. Auburn eyes darted to her left, where the Captain had the creature pinned to the ground, empowered by adrenaline. Her shock was such that she didn't even turn away when he lopped its head off.

There were only two left now, though they were hanging back in the trees as if assessing the current situation. Apparently they decided the situation no longer worth it, and bounding off into the forest, they left the now-tattered group. Miraculously, no one had been lost. One of the men, Hikari thought his name was Baurus, was bleeding profusely from a deep wound on his side. But he would live, if they got him to the ship fast enough. And she knew that they would.

But it was not these things that really registered. Something else…something that was only coming to her now. Looking over she saw the Captain, who was drenched in blood. Most of it was not his own, but he was still a gruesome sight. He stood there over the body of the lion-thing, chest heaving with every breath and sword hanging at his side. He was looking at her, too.

Hikari felt her heart pounding within her chest now, though it was no longer only fear. Her hands were shaking now, and she felt as though her legs would give out beneath her. She watched as the Captain gritted his teeth. Sheathing his sword, he turned away from her. "We will waste no more time here." This was an order.

But that even barely registered. Blood-soaked Iori had to physically grab her before she started moving again, and even then, she didn't really remember what was going on around her.

Hikari. He had called her 'Hikari'.

~*~

Calmer of the Storm: Dun dun duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuunn

….okay. Some of you guessed it, which wasn't so surprising. I dropped a few hints, if you look hard enough. I'm sure I probably didn't fool a single person (but if I did…let me know 'cause it'll make me happy, haha)…I mean, there would be no story if Takeru was dead. Wouldn't that be a plot twist though…he actually _is_ dead. I think I would have a lot of haters if I did that though. Maybe I'll just stick with going with the flow xD

Don't forget to drop a review!


	4. The Talk

~*~

_Chapter Three: The Talk_

Hikari didn't remember a thing about the trip back to the ship. She didn't remember climbing up the rope ladder from the lifeboat to the main deck, and she certainly didn't remember being ushered back into the Captain's quarters, where she was currently sitting, mysteriously in her sleeping attire. Not that it was night time just yet, but her body had moved as if on auto-pilot. When she'd returned to the now-familiar chambers, it was what she had just done. Except that she didn't remember doing it.

And now she was alone.

Her mind was spinning. Nothing made sense. It couldn't. He'd said that Takeru was dead. He was the same pirate that took her best friend all those years ago. She saw the mark on his hand; the scar. But it would explain his blue eyes and the colour of his hair. It would explain why, even though she was afraid of him on the surface, she felt strangely comforted by his presence. And it would certainly explain why he had known her name, even though she had not given it to him. Hikaru. That was what she'd said it was. They still called her that, even though they knew she was a girl. But he hadn't ever even used that name once.

But he was a pirate. A thieving, pillaging and horrible pirate. Takeru wasn't any of these things. He was kind and gentle and thoughtful; he was her hope. She realised she had pulled out the familiar pouch, the one that held the remains of the lily flower he'd given to her on that night. It was all she had left of him, besides her memories. Captain Scar was a despicable person. He killed and stole as he pleased, and she'd heard stories of rape in there too. What about all those nights spent in brothels? Hikari shuddered. No, Takeru wouldn't do that. He couldn't. It couldn't be him. Her best friend was _not _Captain Scar.

They said he was immortal. Scar, not Takeru. She had to believe that this was true. And that Scar did, in fact, remember Takeru. And her friend had talked about her in such a way that even the horrible captain would remember her. The immortal had to have an impeccable memory, right? Takeru must have painted quite the picture of her, if his captor could remember her so well.

Hikari was sitting there with her knees pulled to her chest. Her elbows were resting on top of them, her hands gripping her chestnut hair. She was going insane. She was taking pure legend as truth over the fact that Takeru and the Captain could be the same person.

Once more, the sound of the door opening pulled her from her thoughts. The train wreck that was her mind came to a screeching halt as she looked at him. He had closed the door behind him, and was now leaning against it. He was looking in her direction, though his eyes were far away. He wasn't quite looking at _her_.

She took the opportunity to study him. The more she looked at him, the more she could see it, and the more the truth came crashing down around her. She tried to stop it, but reality was far more potent than her feeble attempts to keep it at bay. She could see the lines of his face; they were familiar. Sharpened with age and stress, but they were there. The gentle crook of his nose had not changed at all, and when he did not have that smirk on his lips she could almost see that kind and gentle smile he always used to carry. The colour of his hair was the same, just now longer and unruly. Not dirty, just mostly neglected. She could see where he had hacked it off in parts, most likely for practical reasons. His father had liked to keep it quite short…at least, much shorter than this. Maybe it was an act of rebellion.

His eyes though…they had changed drastically. The colour was the same, if not a shade darker. But that only came with age. He was twenty years old now. But there was a look in them that was far more ancient than those two decades. They were sinister and cold, a far cry from the compassionate and hopeful Takeru she had once known. The Takeru she had come to love. She noticed, though, that even this was guise for something else. There was something that ran deeper; something that went into the depths of his soul. Something that told her that her best friend was deep in there somewhere. Not dead, as he'd informed her, but perhaps sleeping. She would later realise what a deep slumber it was.

The silence dragged on, the seconds ticking by in painful lurches. There was no clock to measure the time that passed, and yet somehow she could still count it. Suddenly his eyes returned to the present, locking with hers. Hikari felt her pulse quickening and her body freezing up. She wanted to curl into a ball there on her mat on the floor, much like she had felt the first time their eyes had met in such a way. But, just like that first time, she could not tear her eyes from him.

"Takeru…" she whispered, after a few more moments lulled passed.

His eyes flashed dangerously. She silently wondered when he had last been called by that name.

"Takeru is dead." He said again, though his tone lacked the finality that it had the first time. In this moment she didn't believe him.

"No, he's standing in front of me." She wasn't going to let him go so easily. Not when she had finally found him.

He had averted his gaze, pursing his lips as he seemed to ponder something. Deliberating whether or not to leave, she was sure.

Finally he moved, though he did not go to open the door. Instead, Captain Scar made his way back towards the window. It would be easier to talk if his back was to her.

Her crimson eyes followed him as he walked. He still moved the same, she noticed. He still carried with him the grace of the nobleman that he once was, just with the added cautious stance that a pirate had. As he walked Hikari noted for the first time that he did not speak with the same drawl as the rest of them; his speech was more refined. The pieces were in place, now. There was no doubt about it. Just that feeling in her heart that told her she didn't want this to be true.

"I don't understand." She said, her voice still soft. It wasn't working properly in such conditions.

The Captain paused, then heaved with a sigh. "And you don't need to."

This made her angry. "Oh? So you're telling me that I've come all this way for nothing? That I've risked my life countless times in order to find you? Twice in two days is pretty good, you know. Usually it's more." She was getting braver now. The ire was making her vocal chords work better.

Though she couldn't see it, Takeru closed his eyes. He hadn't wanted things to be like this. She wasn't supposed to follow. She was supposed to grow up and become the beautiful woman he knew she would be. She was supposed to be happy.

"Why didn't you contact us?"

As he turned she could see the annoyance on his face. "I was with a band of deadly pirates, Hikari. The situation isn't exactly conducive to contacting your father, who happens to want each of said pirates dead."

A thrill shot through her as he said her name. "But you're the captain, now. You can do anything." And, judging by the amount of respect he got, it wasn't a new position for him, either.

He had to keep from rolling his eyes. "If my father would not pay the meagre ransom to spare his son's life, do you think he would have spared him if he knew what had really become of him? Somehow I think he would prefer me dead."

"That's not true."

"You know it is."

She had no response to that. Truth be told, he was right. But that still didn't satisfy her.

"And what about me? Didn't you think that I would want to know?"

Takeru looked at her, his own heart fluttering within his chest. He had thought about it more than once. There had been days where it had been almost too much for him to handle. In the beginning, at least, when they'd spared him and then given him his freedom. Freedom on the ship, of course; once bound to the crew, that was it. But he couldn't do that to her. He couldn't put her in that kind of danger. And besides, by the time he had been in a position to contact her at all, he had feared that it was too late. They had been fifteen, the age where many a girl got married. Hikari had a fortune behind her, and she was beautiful. No young man in his right mind would let her live alone for long.

That is, of course, unless her tyrant of an older brother was still as overbearing as he always was. Takeru almost smirked at the thought; Taichi very well may be the reason why Hikari was here now and not married off to some old sop. But the thought of rejection…or even simply hearing that she was married and was going to start a family…it had stayed his hand. The knowledge that she was with another would have been too much for him to bear.

"I thought you'd have found a man of your own. No sense in me being around." A feeble excuse, but it was all he had. And he didn't want to delve into the details.

"Well, obviously I haven't. I…" her words trailed off, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink. Given the fading light from the setting sun, Takeru wasn't sure if it was a genuine blush or just a trick of the light. Maybe he didn't want to know.

Instead, she gritted her teeth. "Not that it seems to have mattered to you. You've got more than enough women to satisfy your…desires. Being so famous, and all."

He didn't know what she was talking about, this 'it' that she had referred to. But he somehow knew that she wasn't going to tell him, and that asking about it would make her angrier than she was already.

"Comes with the job description, I'm afraid. But…" he trailed off, not sure how honest he wanted to be. It had been a while since he'd been Takeru; Captain Scar was easier now, and getting more so as the days went on. This was Hikari, though. "It's mostly just show. I can't bring myself, no matter how much I've done, to throw myself around like that." He'd slipped up, of course. He was only human. But for some reason, being with this woman, this woman with whom he was undoubtedly in love, he didn't want to admit it. In fact, he was rather ashamed of himself for it. It probably didn't help that he was stretching the truth a little; those few times he had slipped up had been more lately than before. He had simply accepted the fact that Takeru was gone, and had almost completely embraced Captain Scar in this manner. He had done so in every other way; why not go for it all? What was sleeping around compared to killing people?

There was something about her, though, something that made him regret even that, if only a little.

Hikari was silent, not sure what she should say. She realised that her love for him had not died, and above all, she had realised that this love had not been fabricated. It was not a mere construction of her mind to compensate for the loss she had suffered. No, it was true and genuine love. And, she feared, this love was unrequited. Captain Scar would have no room in his heart to tie himself down to one woman. And she doubted that even Takeru would have such room for her.

"How is your shoulder?" He finally asked, unwilling to delve into the topic any further, but desperate to break the thick silence.

"Sore." She responded curtly.

"You should rest up for a few days, then. We'll be at sea for a bit. We don't have anywhere to be, for the moment, though that will change soon."

Hikari nodded.

Takeru shifted on the spot, uncertain of what should be done next. This wasn't exactly an easy thing to be dealing with. In being a pirate, one did not have to deal with such emotions. The pirate way was to kill or to run; never to truly face things head on. It was simple and effective. But he couldn't kill Hikari, and something told him that running now would damage things that would turn into something irreparable. And, as much as he knew he should stay away, he didn't want her out of his life.

"How is it possible? How are _you_ Captain Scar? I thought…I thought he was the one that took you." The subject was hard for her to bring up, for a number of reasons. It was painful to remember that day, especially when their reunion had not gone as she'd really hoped for. In truth Hikari hadn't been totally certain of the kind of thing she had expected, but it certainly wasn't this. She also didn't want to seem a lunatic; how could Captain Scar have taken Takeru if Takeru was Captain Scar?

"He was."

Hikari didn't say anything, merely watched him expectantly.

"Captain Scar is immortal." He began, a rueful smile appearing across his face. His eyes had wandered again, and only now returned to the girl's face. "At least, the name is. The name has been around for decades. I am the fourth Captain Scar to grace the seas."

"But…the scar…"

"This one?" He pulled up his right sleeve, revealing more of the thing. It was rather grotesque, and Hikari imagined that it had been a brutal attack. "Not a product of battle. At least, not this one. The original Scar, perhaps. The rest are simply due to…initiation rites. If you take the name, you also take the scar."

Hikari's eyes widened with horror at the thought. He had gotten that thing _willingly_?

He had understood her silent question, apparently, and shrugged. "S'not so bad. The Doc's pretty good at helping it along. And his brother helps out a bit too, seeing as he knows what it's like."

Hikari then put something together. "The Cook…"

Takeru nodded. "The third Captain Scar. The second was his uncle, and the first his grandfather. Or something like that. I'm the first one not in the family, but he said he couldn't think of anyone better to take the name. No one else was brave enough to endure the rite, at any rate." He made it sound so simple.

"How long have you been…captain?"

"Just passed the two-year mark. On my eighteenth birthday the title was given to me."

April twenty-third. It was the beginning of June, now.

More silence fell. The shadows in the room were growing long; an indication that the sun was preparing itself to dip below the horizon.

"I should tend to the crew. They'll be wondering what's going on if I don't."

Hikari nodded.

As he moved again, more deliberately this time, once more she watched him. He was easier to watch now, and since finding out his true identity, Hikari knew she could not now truly be afraid of him. Yes he could kill with a flick of his sword, but he wouldn't kill _her_.

"What's going to happen to me?" she asked, suddenly unsure of herself.

Takeru paused as he reached the door, though he didn't turn to her. "You need to heal up, before anything. But once you've bound yourself to this crew, you're here until you die." And with that, Takeru disappeared on the other side of the wooden door.

Falling back onto her mat, Hikari wasn't sure why, but she was almost happy. He wasn't going to deposit her in some strange town. He wasn't even going to try to bring her home. She suspected that it was just due to the pirate code; if he sent her away surely others in the crew would get ideas. But she would take that, if it was all she could get.

Sleep took her more easily than it had in a very long time, and she was left with a feeling of hope, no matter how small it may have been.

~*~

Calmer of the Storm: I hope some of that made sense. I was trying to give an explanation as to why Takeru is so OOC. He's been living on a pirate ship for ten years, after his father abandoned him. And the pirate life is rather seductive, from what I understand (because we all know that I have personal experience with pirates -_-) so that's why. Takeru's in there somewhere, it'll just be a bit before he comes out. If he even comes out at all? Hehe. I don't know. The poor guy's just confused at the moment xD

Let me know what you think!


	5. Of Navy Dogs and Suitors

Calmer of the Storm: So...I've totally had this written for a good two weeks. So I apologise for not sticking to my normal weekley schedule. Things are a little hectic at the moment and I'm suffering from the 'boys suck' syndrome so my will and muse are kind of being sapped from me at the moment -_- I've got up to chapter 8 written and I'm working on a piece of the story that won't happen for quite some time down the road...I just needed to get it out of me. So there's not no hope for me yet, haha. Just don't get too angry with me for not being as dedicated as I was. You can blame the boy, if you'd like. It would probably make me feel better xD

~*~

_Chapter Four: Of Navy Dogs and Suitors_

The crew was mostly settled in for the night, the numbers on deck having dwindled to only the night watch. After an eventful day in the jungle, none of the crew was overly eager to celebrate anything. Not with so many of them injured. Takeru himself knew he should be in bed, but he wasn't quite ready to face the girl again. He was hoping to wait until she had fallen asleep.

He stood towards the bow of the ship, leaning over the railing on the port side. The wind was blowing steadily, pushing the vessel leeward at a fairly decent speed. The sea was calm and the night was clear; the best time for sailing.

But even though the waters were relatively still, the storm that raged in the Captain's heart would sink even the sturdiest of ships. He had not intended for her to find out. Though, he had to admit, he was a little surprised that it had taken her so long. Hikari had always been more perceptive than most, learning at a young age that simply observing things was often a better way to find out information. She was the complete opposite of her brother in that way; where he was loud and abrasive, she was quiet and unassuming. It made her the deadlier of the two, in certain situations. And he suspected that it was how she had ended up on his ship in the first place.

He couldn't say that he was disappointed, though. As a young boy he had always had it in himself to protect her. Even now, he had to keep her away from bad things. He regretted that she'd had to follow, that she couldn't live the life she deserved. If there was anyone that needed a good shot at life, it was Hikari. Orphaned at a young age, and yet she held no resentment for the world. She was the very personification of innocence; she was pure and good. Maybe, if things hadn't changed, he would have actually made a good match for her. The adults always spoke of his own moral compass and how straight it pointed. Really it hadn't been all that special; he'd just had her best interests in mind. Even as a child, making sure Hikari got everything she needed was his goal.

Things were different now. He was beginning to think that maybe _she_ had been his moral compass; his light that guided him in the dark parts of the world…and they were many. But he was used to living in darkness now. His eyes had adjusted to it, and it didn't seem so bad. It wasn't so...dark anymore. Each time the lights went dimmer he would suffer from the shock of it for only a moment, and then things would once again become clear. Takeru knew that if he were to suddenly reintroduce that light into his life again, he would become blind. He had rounded that dark corner much too far and was a product of shadow and deceit, now. Light was something he _ran_ from.

And yet…he couldn't bring himself to run from her. It was as if his being was still clinging to that small strand of hope that maybe things could be better. The problem was that he liked being a pirate; it gave him a freedom that the walls of a fortress could not bestow. But now that she had been reintroduced into his life, he wasn't sure that he wanted to let her go. Piracy was inherently selfish; this was no different. It was these things that warred within him; the desire for her to live the life he knew she should have, and the life where she would be at his side. Neither would be easy. He just wasn't sure which would be harder.

The sound of footsteps across the deck caused him to shift from his spot, but he relaxed again when he realised it was only his First Mate. Iori was a reliable man, though he was younger than the Captain himself. There was something in his steely eyes that spoke wisdom, however, and so most did not question his age. Takeru had seen the value in that wisdom and had promoted the boy right away, and had yet to regret the decision.

"One would think that, after such a day, the Captain would seek to retire early to his quarters." Iori was the son of a merchant, and a fairly wealthy one at that. His speech was much better than the rest of the crew's.

Takeru did not respond; he only continued to stare out onto the endless ocean.

"Unless, of course, he is avoiding something…or someone." It wasn't a question.

The young man shook his head, his body heaving with a sigh. "I don't know what to do anymore. Not that I ever did in the first place, but things are different now."

"She's the girl from your past, then." In some ways Iori was much like Hikari; he was also very quiet and very perceptive.

The Captain nodded, smirking lightly. "What gave it away?"

"When you didn't throw her overboard for being a woman. You tend to not like them on the ship, though I can only guess at your reasons for that. And then you moved her into your room, to send everyone else a message that she was your woman, and therefore not to be touched. But you never did anything to her."

"Nothing slips by you, eh, Iori."

The younger man rolled his eyes, but was obviously amused. He then looked at his captain expectantly; waiting for what he knew was coming. He wouldn't ask, but he would wait for it to be admitted.

He seemed to catch the drift. Captain Scar ran a hand through his unruly blonde hair, the strands that were not quite long enough to be tamed within the ponytail at the base of his neck momentarily removed from his face. "I'm in love with her. I always have been, maybe I always will be. I just can't subject her to this life. But I can't let her go, either. Maybe I'm more a pirate than I thought."

"Perhaps you should let _her_ decide what she wants. She's come this far, and I doubt that she will return home without you. And you cannot tell me that you are simply 'friends', because friends, in my experience, don't search for years to find someone whom everyone else said was dead."

Despite his youth, the wisdom he had was well beyond his years. A waste to be among pirate ships, but it was his own choice. When the military had taken the life of his father, he had sworn an oath against them. Piracy seemed the way to take that oath to the next level.

Once more, Takeru heaved with a sigh. "I'm afraid. I've not felt fear in quite some time now, and it's coming over me stronger than even the night I was kidnapped. I am afraid to send her away, for fear that she'll find another. But I'm afraid to keep her here because I know I'll chase her off. I'm not who I used to be. I'm not 'Takeru' anymore. She may bring him back more than ever, but even I know that he is too far gone. The sea runs in my veins now; I cannot now leave it. Going back to my old life, even if my sins are acquitted, is impossible."

There was silence, then, save for the sound of the ship moving through the moonlit waters. Finally Iori shrugged, slapping his captain on the back once. "You're on your own, then. Hope you figure it out soon. Get some rest, old man." And with that, he turned and left Takeru to mull things over some more.

~*~

A week passed and not much happened. The entirety of it was spent out on the ocean while Captain Scar when through the spoils of their trade with the natives. Much of his time was spent in the cabin when the girl was not there; she had taking quite a liking to the Doctor. His brother was the cook, and thus the former Captain Scar, and Hikari had learned quite a bit from him. She stayed away from personal things, and things that would tread onto ground that could end up with her being heartbroken. She asked of their adventures; tales of battle and triumph, of failure and of loss. There were mishaps and times when things when better than according to plan, flukes and other unexpected things. When she was little she had always enjoyed a good story, but there was something quite different about hearing a firsthand experience. As a result of her time spent with the Doctor, she had been assigned to being his personal aid. That way, as Takeru had figured (and not really told anyone else) the old man could keep an eye on her, should anything happen with that wound. What better place to keep her safe?

They were nearing Rustico again, though Hikari was dreading it. She knew what these trips meant. It was not overly often that they spent time here, but it was to 'recharge' the crew after a long voyage. More now than ever, she knew she would hate this place. She didn't think that her duties would change much, as nothing else really had. It made her frustrated in a way; she had found her best friend, but nothing had been done about it. She hadn't really realised it, but thinking back she saw that she had been expecting something more. She had envisioned a tearful reunion, and even once she had pictured it full of 'I love you's' and other such words. But after being given the cold shoulder, she knew otherwise. It still didn't change the fact that she was in love with him, however, and she wasn't going to give up until she could get a definitive answer from him. It was just that getting that answer was an absolutely terrifying prospect, and she would skirt around it as much as possible. He seemed to be doing the same thing.

The ship was docked at dusk, and sure enough she was part of the crew appointed to stay behind. That was fine with her; she did not wish to see how the Captain acted when he was in such an environment. If thinking about it was enough to cause her stomach to churn uncomfortably within and her heart to bleed ever so slightly, seeing him in these situations would probably kill her. If she had been elected to go in, she would have put up a fight. She was not some sort of masochist.

Nothing changed, though. Not even the sound of the severely out of tune music that wafted up from the tavern. She had watched the rest of the crew as they moved through the narrow, winding streets of the town until they disappeared from sight into the building that was just at the top of the hill. She'd turned away, then, unable to even think any more about it.

Surprisingly, the Captain's First Mate had volunteered to stay behind and watch the remainder of the crew. Usually the ones that stayed behind were the ones that had done something wrong; talking back to the Captain or falling asleep on the job. It wasn't the most severe of punishments, Hikari thought, but if you were to look at one of the men's faces who was left behind, you would think otherwise. It would appear that they would rather be thrown into a pit of lions without any weapons than miss a night of fun in Rustico. But Iori had stayed back by choice.

The younger man was on the deck, leaning against the railing and staring out into the open sea. He preferred the open water; he had spent much of his life travelling around with his father. He had never truly liked cities, and Rustico definitely fell into that category. It also didn't help that he just was not into such fun as the others were, but usually he went to make sure that Captain Scar did not get too out of hand. As of late, he had been getting worse. Before, Iori hadn't had any idea of what had been changing him. Now, since meeting the girl, he knew. Captain Scar had been holding onto the innocent boy that Takeru had been. Now, as time went on, he was slowly losing that. The things that had bound him to that old life were slowly crumbling. He was interested, however, to see how the appearance of the girl would affect him. Judging by the Captain's urgency to get to the town, he suspected that tonight would not be a good night for either of them. Takeru was afraid, and there was a remedy for haunting thoughts and fears known to many a man, and Takeru was not so innocent as he once was.

Iori was not oblivious to the girl that stood towards the stern of the ship, as far away from the shore as she could possibly get. He didn't blame her. She probably knew that tonight would not be the best of nights for her. This girl had searched for four years for her friend, something that was rather admirable. The young man was interested to find out if she was willing to accept the Captain Scar along with her best friend. The two were so intertwined now that she would not be able to fully get her friend back. The pirate life was seductive and easy, and very hard to leave. Iori could fully see what was going on between them, but he had already decided that he would play no part in it. He would see how things played out on themselves, though he hoped that Hikari wouldn't be completely destroyed in the process. She was a nice girl.

The night continued on quietly, even the sea itself was calm. But it was closer to three in the morning that things began to change. Most of the crew, though they had been charged with keeping watch, had fallen asleep. Hikari had been unable to bring herself to sleep in the Captain's quarters tonight, and now that everyone knew she was a girl, sleeping in the bunkroom was a really bad idea. So she had remained awake, but just barely so. Because of her tired state, she had noticed the white sails in the distant but hadn't really thought too much about them. There were four ships, the one at the forefront of the line the largest and most elaborate. But she thought to sound no alarm; pirates came through here all the time.

But she neglected to remember that pirates did not typically sail in groups, and nor did they fly military flags.

It was only when she could see the people moving on the ships, their dark forms like shadows on the deck. Even from this distance, and from this sort of light, she could tell that the men were better dressed, and better armed, than any pirate ever would be. With a start she realised she needed to warn someone; they were all in trouble. Piracy was an illegal practice, and this town was full of those who practiced it.

"Iori, Iori!" she called as she scrambled towards the rest of the crew. Her yelling had woken only those who had fallen asleep on the deck; the ones who couldn't have been bothered to make it down into the hull. As she saw them rising Hikari wondered if maybe the hard surface was more comfortable than the makeshift straw mattresses they slept on down there.

The younger man was at the helm of the ship now, though what he could be doing there while the ship was not in motion, she didn't know. He appeared at the top of the stairs that led down onto the main deck, confusion written across his face. He only opened his mouth to ask what was wrong before he too saw what was coming for them. Instantly his mouth closed and he became serious. "We need to get the captain."

Hikari did not like the idea of going down _there_. "Shouldn't someone stay behind and protect the ship?" Her voice was small and strained. Iori got the message quite clearly.

He nodded at her, then barked a few orders at the men who were conscious. He took all of them save for one, who was charged with going down into the heart of the ship and rousing the others. He was off in a flash, the others making way to the tavern where the majority of the crew was, along with however many other pirates and like-men who had decided to spend the night in Rustico.

A few minutes of eerie silence followed, and Hikari felt her mouth turn dry. Through all her experience with piracy, she'd managed to stay away from the navy. They were a hated group in this world, and understandably so. From what she knew they had no idea of the location of this city, but apparently everyone was wrong. Still…four ships did not seem enough to make a siege on a city that was teeming with pirates. Of course, the military was trained for combat; they were much more refined than even the best of pirates. But that was not to say that pirates were not admirable foes. Where the navy men were honourable, pirates played dirty. They had tricks and weapons that were ancient and crude, but sometimes more deadly than the most advanced of techniques. But even if the navy could cram their ships to full capacity with soldiers, they would not be enough to match the numbers of those in the pirate city, especially on a night like tonight, where it was teeming with them.

The navy ships approached faster than the Captain could. Hikari was nervous; she had never truly been in a fight before. And she had certainly never killed another human being. The prospect of having to do so in order to save her own life was absolutely terrifying. Her heart was pounding loudly in her chest. She knew that being a woman would earn her no points in the eyes of the military men. She was in league with the pirates now; her neck was as fair game as the rest of them were. Maybe this wasn't something she had thought over all that well, when she had initially run away from home.

It was not long before the flagship boat pull up alongside that of Captain Scar. Maybe they should have taken his colours down before…their brightly-coloured flag was rather hard to miss. The blood-red background glowed even in the darkness, and the white skull and blue cutlasses marked it unique. There was no black on the flag; Scar liked to be different. Distinguishable among even pirates. Where no two flags were the same, there was nothing like this one. Which meant that it was also an easy target for such government employed men, who were seeking the highest bounty that there was on the seas. It made her sick to think that Takeru could be in that much danger…perhaps if it was made known that he was the governor's son…

Men in blue coats flooded the deck faster than the pirates could defend it. At first there had been a plan to allow them to come over and then make it to their ship, but upon seeing the sheer volume of people it was deemed a suicide mission. They were down to a mere fifth of the crew, if even that.

None of them attacked. A man stepped forward, and he was dressed more elaborately than the rest of them, decorated with a feather-plumed hat. The man had golden hair that was just barely visible from beneath the hat, but it was so pale that it glowed almost white in the moonlight. His eyes were like Takeru's, Hikari thought, but harsher. Harsher because they were a ghostly pale blue, and did not run as deep as Takeru's did. But maybe she was just biased.

There was a smile on the man's face, one that said he believed he had achieved a great victory. But Hikari did not believe that he was so cocky; there was something else about him. Something very intimidating, and also very…familiar. She didn't understand why, for she had thought she would remember such a person.

His eyes fell onto her for the first time, and something flashed through them. Recognition. Hikari felt uneasy where she stood, seeing this man relax before her as if he had found a long-lost friend.

"Yagami Hikari." He said, and it wasn't a question. He spoke with a finality and authority rang through his voice. He couldn't have been much older than she was, but still he carried this with him. Almost like Takeru. Except that Takeru was feared, where it seemed that this man was respected.

Hikari clenched her jaw, too stunned to really say anything.

"Your brother is quite worried about you, you know. And he was rather disappointed that you could not be there at his wedding. He wishes for you to come home."

Hikari felt a pain in her heart; Taichi had gotten married. That meant he would have fully inherited their parents' estate. She had missed that day. She hadn't been there to support him when she should have been.

"We've been searching for you, at his bidding. As he is a well-respected man and an influential one as well, we have deemed it an important task to come and find you."

Finally, she found the strength to say something. "I'm not going anywhere."

The man smiled. "It isn't a choice, dear girl. Your brother is very concerned for your safety, and this is no life for a refined woman to be living." For some reason she felt that he was not taunting her. His voice was stern, but there was no malice in it.

"I'm not going anywhere until I've done what I've set out to do." Well, she supposed she had found Takeru. She knew where he was and how he was doing. But that wasn't enough anymore. She needed to know what was truly in his heart; if he was truly gone from her grasp forever.

Something gleamed in the man's eyes, as if he knew something. "Yes, well, I'm sure things have gone splendid for you."

His eyes flashed to the streets, where the sounds of shouting were rising above the buildings. The music from the tavern had stopped, and the town was eerily still, aside from the mob of angry pirates that was coming their way.

Thinking quickly, the man that was the commander of the brigade took action.

"Come over here then, Hikari. I wouldn't want you to get hurt in this."

"I already gave my answer."

The man sighed. "And _I've_ already told you that you have no say in the matter." He raised his hand, and the sound of a dozen cocking guns followed. "I'll have your friends shot, if you don't come over. I realise you probably think I'll just have that done anyways, but I'm really only here for one thing. Come quietly, and no one else will have to suffer."

There was a rumble that went through the pirates; they were apparently undecided on the matter. In most if their eyes, she was just a wench to keep the Captain company while he was out on the sea. Only a few of them knew better, and even then it was pure speculation. It was solely Iori who knew the truth.

Hikari didn't like this. She knew that they would all die. The other three navy ships were positioned in such a way that they did have the advantage over the city. They were close enough to attack, but far enough away that they would not be boarded easily. This was not an assault mission but a reconnaissance one; she could see that now. The advantage was such that they could unload and attack if they had to, but they could run just as quickly if things turned ill for them. The pirates would not be able to gather themselves fast enough to make for any sort of pursuit. From what she could tell, they truly hadn't come to cause a bloodbath. And she couldn't just let the people with whom she had lived these passed few months to die just because she wanted to get closer to their captain. Sometimes, sacrifices needed to be made.

"I-I'll come." She said quietly, her tone resigned.

Just behind her, Iori clenched his jaw. If she went with them now, he didn't know what it would do to the Captain. It would crush him and confuse him more than what was going on with him now. Iori did look at the man as a friend, but he also saw the practical side of things. If Captain Scar was distracted, he wouldn't be the pirate he needed to be. But there wasn't much he could do about it at the moment, not with all the rifle barrels pointing straight at his head.

The girl crossed the deck towards the navy commander, stopping only when she was just beside him.

It was at that point that the rest of the crew finally made it down. It was Captain Scar who made it first, the look on his face telling just how angered he was at the situation. Iori noticed that he was holding himself up rather well; perhaps he hadn't had as much to drink as he'd thought. Well, there were other ways to forget, and he wouldn't be telling any of those to Hikari.

Takeru stood in front of the man, sword drawn. It was not poised for attack, though, but there was a look on his face that said that not even the threat of the guns would cause him to back down. He glanced to Hikari and for a moment his heart thudded painfully within his chest; he didn't want to see her on the other side. He didn't want to see her beside another man…especially not _that_ man.

But then Captain Scar seemed to regain himself, and he appeared to relax. A light smirk crossed his features, and Hikari wasn't sure if she should be upset or happy. If he wanted her gone so badly, he should have just told her.

"It's so good to see you again, Commander Willis."

Willis tipped his hat, as if he were greeting a gentleman. "I would have to say the same for myself, Captain Scar."

He paused a moment, a smirk appearing across his own lips. The man gave a sidelong glance to Hikari, his lips twitching upwards just slightly. "Or should I say, Takaishi Takeru. It's been a long while, old friend." The way he said 'old friend' did not sound like he meant it at all.

It was at that point that Hikari realised what was going on. Takeru and Willis had been friends…sort of…when they were younger. The two were the sons of high-status men, and were therefore often stuck together. Hikari had not really been allowed with them, as she had been forced to spend time with little girls her age. She _had_ seen Willis before. In fact, she knew him a lot better than she had remembered.

Willis had tried to court her. She didn't know why this was only coming to her now. She recalled dancing with a pale-haired man at a masquerade ball once. It had to have been him. He'd sent her letters and small gifts, though it was nothing all that aggressive. Most of the time she wrote back, writing to a man whom she never really remembered what he looked like.

"Willis…the letters…" she said, looking at him with slight shock on her face.

He turned to the girl at his side, momentarily ignoring the pirate captain in front of him. "Finally figured it out, hmm? I was rather crushed when you left four years ago. I was planning on coming to visit you so that I could court you properly."

As he said this his eyes flickered to Takeru. The other man's face had darkened considerably, murder clear in his eyes. Willis ignored this, having gotten exactly the reaction he'd wanted.

"I had no idea what you were harbouring on your ship, Scar. I had come with the intentions of capturing you, but now that the surprise is let out I might have to let you go just this once. I'll take the girl, though. Her family is quite upset that she's been gone for so long. And perhaps she can flourish into the woman she is meant to be."

Takeru did not like this. The thought of Hikari leaving him now…the thought of her potentially ending up with _him_…no. He couldn't let that happen. As confused as he was about things, he was determined not to lose her to him. Not to the man who had become his rival the day he took on the name of Captain Scar.

The sword that was in his hand was raised and pointed at the Commander. "You will not take what is mine."

And then, despite the double-barrelled shot guns pointing his direction, he lunged.

~*~

Calmer of the Storm: Wow…so that chapter ended up a little longer than I had anticipated. Haha. Oh well. I just couldn't find a good place to stop it. Maybe I still didn't. Oh well. It's what you get for now…haha. Don't forget to drop me a review!!

I just love this hope/light thing. I love the…I don't know, allegory? Is that the right word? At any rate…I think it marks the characters for who they are and is perhaps the one trait that makes it impossible to translate an AU story like this into another fandom…well, if I over do it, just let me know. Because, as I love it so much, I just may xD


	6. L’isola di Vita

Calmer of the Storm: -pokes head out- Sorry! I had fully intended to get another chapter out a week and a half ago…I was a camp counsellor last week and I had no internet. But, well, life sometimes gets in the way. But here it is! I have not at all forgotten about this story and I still stick to my promise that it will get done. I'll even start chapter nine right now…just to get things rolling. I'll warn you that this chapter isn't the most exciting…but it's leading up to something pretty big. In fact, I think the next chapter is my favourite so far. But you'll just have to wait for that one. Hehe. So enjoy this one in the mean time!

~*~

_Chapter Five: L'isola di Vita_

Hikari couldn't quite believe what was going on. Given the nature of her status it was not uncommon for her to be courted by a man she had never seen before. She was lucky she even got to communicate with him; usually it was the parents who did all that. But since she didn't have any parents, she didn't have that problem. And Taichi always wanted what was best for her. Even if he was slightly overbearing, he always meant well. Anything that made her truly happy was fine in his books.

But standing here beside him as he voiced his intentions on bringing her back home while his men pointed guns at the man who was her best friend and whom she loved…well, those letters didn't seem to matter so much anymore.

As she watched Takeru lunge towards the Commander, she let out a cry of horror. It was quickly contained as her hands flew to her mouth, but her eyes were still wide with shock.

It had happened so quickly that no one had really had time to move. Everyone had fallen still, and the sound of metal blades clanging together still rang through the night air. The two men were standing only inches apart, the crossed blades of their swords the only things separating them. There was a smirk on one face and a placid look on the other.

"You will leave quietly, without the girl, and I will let you and all of your men live." There was no malice in his voice; the pirate captain was taunting the navy commander.

Willis furrowed his brow and set his jaw. "You are in no position to negotiate."

Takeru's eyes flickered towards the men that still had their guns pointed at him. He had been afraid that a gun would go off, but there had been no sign from their commander. He had been banking on the fact that the navy dogs were so well-trained that they would not even breathe unless told to, and even then they would ask in what manner they were to do so. He was glad to know he had been right.

"Your men need to learn about something called autonomous behaviour. It may have saved your plan. It may have even ended in my death. But your dogs will only do what you tell them to. Then again, you're only a dog yourself, under the command of a fat toad."

It was difficult not to get angry, but Willis knew better than to be provoked by petty insults. And it wasn't like he hadn't heard those ones before. Pirates were liars and bluffers, their greatest weapons being their tongues. And this pirate, no matter who he used to be, had the sharpest tongue of all. However, it would do him no good in battle. He was not dealing with a bunch of angry drunkards.

It looked as though the men were standing still, as if posing for an artist. In truth they were straining against each other. It was just that they were so evenly matched in strength that there was no movement. This had turned into a contest between them, to see who could hold out the longest. Their arms ached from the pressure, but neither would back down. There was too much pride for that.

"Back down, Scar. You're lucky I'm in a patient mood tonight."

The smirk on his face only grew, but he was no longer looking into the eyes of his adversary. He was looking behind him, beyond even the soldiers that guarded his back.

"I believe I told you that you should loosen their leashes a little. You should be lucky that _I'm_ in a rather jovial mood tonight, despite my interrupted festivities. Each of your men should now be feeling the point of a blade against his back."

The connection was broken, the clang louder than it had been the first time as metal slid against metal. Still keeping an eye on Scar, Commander Willis turned to see the line of pirates that had formed behind his men. Clenching his jaw, he knew when he was defeated.

"Alright, you win this time. But don't think I'm giving up. I _will_ hunt you. The next time I see you, you'd better be quick. Because next time I won't wait for orders."

Captain Scar was still grinning. "Not if I see you first, dear Commander. You'd better get back to headquarters, though, as you'll find that your ship has been emptied of food and water. Those cannonballs are a nice grade as well, but the next time you see them it will because they have been blasted through the hull of your ship."

The ire on the Commander's face was clear as he called off his men. They did not drop their guard, for pirates were not to be trusted. But he hoped, for the sake of Hikari, that Takeru would not do such a thing in her presence.

"Autonomy, Commander Willis. Don't forget it next time."

He pretended not to hear him.

Turning to Hikari, Willis had a gentler look in his face. He had been infatuated with the girl the first time he saw her, and his sentiments were not so different now. It hurt him to see that she would rather be in the arms of a pirate, no matter who he had been to her, than safe in a civilised environment. She deserved much better than this. She deserved a man who would remain faithful to only her. A man who would protect her with his life and yet not seek to take others. She deserved a noble man, maybe even a man better than himself. But he knew that she did not need to sink so low as to go to _him_. It hurt a little to know think that she must love him very much.

"That man is going to break your heart, Hikari." He said softly, so that only she could hear.

The girl nodded her head, a soft smile crossing her lips. There was a touch of sadness to it, and it almost broke the Commander's heart. "I am well aware of it."

"I won't wait forever, but if you get tired of this life…"

She nodded, her smile growing just a little. "You'll be the first one I call on."

A light smile touched his lips, the first genuine one of the night. "I'll look forward to it. See you again, my lady." Taking her hand he placed a light kiss on it, then cast a glace towards Captain Scar. The Captain had evidently seen their light and even tender exchange, and was obviously none-too-pleased about it, and Willis had been banking on it. With a smirk on his face, he turned and followed his men to the ship. He now knew how he could knock the egotistic pirate down a few notches. Hikari, no matter how much she loved him, could not wait forever. Her former best friend's antics would eat away at her soon enough, if they hadn't begun to already. If he could take the girl away from him, then perhaps things would turn in his favour. It was destiny, he decided, that had brought Hikari into his life. His feelings for her were in fact genuine; it was just a stroke of luck that the Captain's were too.

The ship was let out of the pirate city without much incident; a few straggling drunkards still lingered on the ship, and they were instantly thrown into the holding cell in the bottom of the hull. The town's inhabitants had helped out, the place was infested with pirates. The other three ships were too far out to have been pillaged, and there was no need for an attack. He had other plans now.

It was for the sake of Hikari that Takeru had not ordered a complete massacre. It was too bad, really; this particular commander had been a constant thorn in his side for the passed two years of his life. He might have allowed for something to happen had Hikari not known Willis.

It bothered him to know that the extent of their relationship went beyond mere acquaintances. Hikari had always been rather shy and quiet. Though, he supposed that a lot could change in ten years. He saw that she had come out of her shell, though whether that was due to living in the pirate world or just growing up, he didn't know. There were still traces of that shy and insecure little girl. Sometimes he saw her standing with her arms folded across her stomach, as she had when she was thrust into a new situation as a child. Of course she clutched no doll now, and it was not at the head of her bed to keep her company at night. She had given that up; that one tie to her parents that she had been so afraid of losing. Becoming stronger had inevitably attracted suitors, he had anticipated that. It was just a little more painful to actually see it in action. That small exchange between them had gotten under his skin more than he would have liked for it too, especially as the Commander had obviously wanted it to. Desperately he wanted to know what had been said between them, but he knew he had no right to ask.

Hikari came up to him then, after reflecting on what had happened. "Thank you." She said finally, after watching him a few moments.

As happy as he was about it, Takeru would not show it. "For what." He said curtly, more as a statement than as a question.

Hikari sighed; it wasn't quite the reaction she had anticipated. Something a little softer, maybe. But he had no idea what the reasoning for it was.

"For…for letting me stay. For not making me go back with him."

It was difficult to contain himself now; it was quite the thing to hear that she actually _wanted _to stay with him. But he still managed to do it. "You're bound to me now, for life. Besides, didn't I say you were my woman now? Captain Scar doesn't share his things. He never has."

Well, she supposed that being a possession was better than being nothing at all. For the moment, she would take it.

~*~

Time spent out on the sea did not pass as time did on land. Out in the open there were no boundaries, physical or otherwise. Time was neither friend nor foe; in many cases it did not even exist for them. Captain Scar's crew worked night and day, trading, pillaging and doing things that pirates do.

Hikari wasn't sure exactly how much time had passed since she had met with Willis. She still found it odd, and she tried not to think about it so much. But things hadn't really changed with Takeru. If anything, they had simply gone back to how they had been before, when she hadn't known who he was. There were small moments, mostly times when she would catch him watching her, that gave her hope, but even these were now no longer enough. She was terrified of talking to him about it, for she did not want that sort of closure, but she was getting close to reaching the point where she needed to know. And as time went on, Commander Willis' offer was growing more and more appealing.

The sea had grown on her the last four years. Willis was a navy commander; she wouldn't necessarily have to give it up. She was not so famous that she would have to remain walled up in her home all the time; not like Takeru had been. And Willis was interested. He wasn't such a bad guy; he was everything a young girl would want in a man. He was kind and gentle, and he did have a good head on his shoulders. Being in the navy meant he had a steady income, and being so high-ranking meant that that income was better than most. He would be away a lot, but he would be faithful. And he was good-looking too, Hikari had to admit. It was just that…he wasn't Takeru.

With a sigh she realised she had stopped her chores, and was now leaning into the mop that she was supposed to be using. Well, they mostly left her alone anyways. The men of the crew tended to be a little soft on her, which was a little surprising. This only meant that she wasn't punished as severely, if even at all, when she was caught slacking off like she was now. If this was the pirate way of showing affection, of they really were just nice guys at heart, she didn't know. Either way she wouldn't question it, because something told her they would never own up to anything and her 'special treatment' might end. If there was one thing that ran common through all pirates, it was the pride. They had an image to live up to, and anything less was a disgrace.

Her gaze drifted to where the Captain stood at the bridge of the ship, just at its helm. He was engrossed in discussions with his First Mate, and they seemed serious. The latter man held open a large sheet of tattered paper, and from the light shining through it she figured it to be a map. She watched absently as they seemed to find a suitable destination, a conclusion that was reached when she noted a nod of affirmation and the map was folded up.

The Captain lifted his head, and he exuded such a force that the crew, who had also been watching their leader, stopped what they were doing to pay attention to what he would say next. "Adjust our bearing to _L'isola di Vita_, twenty degrees north west."

Immediately the crew jumped to action, not questioning their Captain's orders. The boom was the first thing to move; the large piece of timber had to be adjusted so that the main sail could turn the ship windward. Hikari stayed out of the way for this part, for though she had now spent a few years on a ship, she had never stuck around a crew long enough to get promoted beyond a seaman. And now she mostly worked for the doctor, with the occasional chore of cleaning the deck, like she was doing at the moment. But with the pirates scurrying about as they were, she knew that her job had been rendered pointless. Oh well, she hadn't really been all that enthusiastic about it anyways.

She was just about to dump the dirty water from her bucket overboard when she realised that she was no longer by herself. Looking up she met a pair of striking blue eyes, eyes that never ceased to cause her heart to stop for a few moments. She swallowed hard as her breathing hitched in her throat, followed by the sudden re-starting of her heart as it drummed rapidly against her ribcage.

"I want you to stay on the ship for this mission." His face was rather serious, and there was even a note of…concern? It couldn't be that.

It was a few moments before the young woman's mind could churn up a response. "Stay? Why?"

"Because it's too dangerous I…don't want anything happening to you." His voice was soft, maybe even gentle. His blue eyes were like molten sapphires, the depth of emotion swimming in them as turbulent as the seas they mirrored.

Hikari was thrown off by the sudden display of concern; he hadn't really so much as talked to her since the meeting with the commander. After claiming her as 'his', even though she still slept on the floor of his cabin, he'd done nothing to make it so. Her crimson eyes flashed for a moment, worried he might be brushing her off. "I can handle myself." Her tone was defiant; perhaps childishly so. She was just mostly angry with him; angry that he had done nothing to truly claim her.

"Not here. Not at this place."

Hikari set her jaw, giving him a hard glare before speaking again. "And what is it that you chase this time?"

"Myths, perhaps."

"And you would have me remain here, where I do not know…where I know nothing of the quest?" It was not the quest she was concerned about. It was his own well-being; she knew she wouldn't be able to stand not knowing what was happening to him. But she couldn't allow him to know this.

"Yes." His voice was stern, and she knew that this time he would truly lock her in his cabin and take with him the key.

That seemed to be the end of their conversation. In frustration she threw the mop down, not bothering to empty the bucket of dirty water that would inevitably be knocked over by one of the clumsy pirates. Let them yell at her; she didn't care. She knew this place that they were going to. She had heard the stories. The Island of Life, it was called, but it held anything but. They said that a terrible and powerful witch lived there. They said that she captured the hearts of men and ate them. They also said that she hid a great treasure, one far greater than anything the mortal realm could hide. Some said it was a fountain of youth, but Hikari found that much too cliché. There were too many stories about that sort of thing; stories that went back to the beginning of time. Quite frankly she wasn't sure what she thought about this whole thing, just that she didn't exactly relish the thought of Takeru plunging into unknown territory to face a supposedly beautiful woman. To have him fall for her and then suffer the consequences for it…it would break her heart. They said that this witch could only entrance a heart that did not fully belong to another. It would mean finding out in the worst possible way if there was any room for her in his. She couldn't have him leave her like that; not when she was so close. But there were still a few days yet before they would reach their destination. It was enough time for her to act; for her to figure out a way she was going to go with him. She would convince him, some way or another. Even if she had to break through his window to follow. If he got angry with her afterwards it would mean that he had lived, and she would, quite frankly, rather live with his wrath than exist entirely without him. Hikari did not wish to lose him to some witch, and so she would fight for him. She would be his light in the dark place that she knew he was entering.

~*~

Calmer of the Storm: So yep. Something BIG is coming!! I think it will be a rather surprising chapter...I'll give a little hint in saying that what you think is going to happen probably isn't going to. Hehe. I like breaking conventions sometimes.


	7. Foiled Plans

Calmer of the Storm: Ha, funny story. I wrote the little intro to the previous chapter just before posting it, and without actually reading this one. So in short I lied. This isn't the chapter I'm in love with. It's the next one. Lol. My bad! So you'll just have to wait a little longer…

Enjoy!

~*~

_Chapter Six: Foiled Plans_

They had set out early the next morning. Hikari had been up so late with her thoughts that when the morning did come she was left in deep slumber. Takeru did feel a little bad for leaving her behind; he never liked it when she was far from him. But he couldn't let her join him on this part of the journey…it was much too dangerous. And he wasn't sure how things would go with this witch. If they went badly, he didn't want her around to experience it. Not that things would go well for her if he wasn't around to keep the rest of the crew away from her; it was just that he felt safer if she was not where the danger was. And so as quietly as he could, Takeru slipped from his bedroom and locked the door behind him.

It was around midmorning when the girl awoke, the sun pouring in through the open blinds. Open blinds. That meant that the Captain was no longer here. Panic struck her as she shot off of her mat and towards the door. Dread filled her as she realised it was locked; he had left her behind. The fool had gone and done exactly what he'd said he would. She was going to kill him when he got back, if that witch didn't do it for her.

With her back against the door Hikari slid to the ground, sudden despair filling her. He didn't trust her enough to take her along. He didn't trust her abilities with the sword, though she had been taking lessons from members of the crew. She figured she could hold her own in battle now, though she had never been in a real skirmish before. Maybe that was why he didn't want her around. Or maybe he just thought that she was weak. Either way, she knew it couldn't really be that he was concerned for her, though he had made it seem as such.

Her eyes scanned the room and she noticed a plate of food and a mug that sat on his desk. _At least he's thoughtful_, came her bitter and sarcastic thoughts. The nerve that he had of leaving her behind! Pirate or not, she was going to give him a piece of her mind when he returned.

At this point despair washed over her as it often did when he was not around. What if he _didn't_ come back? There were so many stories…so many people that had never come back. She knew that the seas were full of legend and lore, and sometimes it was difficult to distinguish what was fact, but this didn't give her any comfort. Despite the man that he had become he still gave her that comfort he had so long ago, and now it was so easy to slip into a point where she saw no hope. Sitting against the door now as she was she wondered how she had survived ten years without him. He had been her strength in that unstable world they had grown up in; where allegiances were fickle and had to do with how much money one had at the moment. Of course they were too young to fully understand all of this, but something had told her that Takeru would have stuck around regardless. He was her rock in an ever-changing world, one that she would cling to with everything she had.

And truly, how _had_ she made it without him? Perhaps it was the hope that he had left behind with him that day. The hope within her that said he was still alive. But now she had no reason for that hope, for she had found him. Now fear and doubt crept into her heart whenever it got the chance. Living in darkness without hope was beginning to take its toll on her. Could she do it? Could she wait for him? Could she really believe that he loved her, no matter how buried that feeling was? Sitting here alone she knew she couldn't. She had to get out of here.

Rising from her spot, Hikari decided that the first thing she was going to do was get dressed. No sense in setting off into the jungle in her nightgown. This did not take very long for a certain determination had set in. She was going to get out of here and she was going to find him, though how either of these things were going to happen she didn't know. Well, it wouldn't be the first time she had set out without a plan. The younger and perhaps more rational Hikari was long gone; and though many still counted her as wise beyond her years there were times when she just needed to act like the pig-headed adolescent that most expected one her age to be. It was time to be more like her brother.

First she tried the door. She knew that she wasn't the only one on the ship, but if she could at least get out of this room first she could tackle the rest of that later. For such a rickety looking thing it sure held fast against her assaults. The iron handle would not budge and the wood was thicker than Taichi's head. Great. Perhaps she should try the window. It could open, she knew that much; it was just a matter of figuring out how. The latches were not difficult to find, but were surprisingly difficult to operate. Finally she did manage to shift it, and then took to prying the window open.

In the process of doing this, Hikari hadn't taken the time to actually pay attention to what was below her. Upon opening the window she did, her jaw clenching as she realised that she had been bested in this way as well. Below her sat a coral reef; one that would have been quite beautiful under other circumstances. The tropical waters were a deep emerald colour, the brilliant sun reflecting off them into a cloudless sky. From this high up she could see the array of colours; a living rainbow at the bottom of the sea. But the water was much, much too shallow for her to jump out of the window and get by unscathed. At this point she noticed that the ship was not moving; they had run it aground. The tides would pick it back up later. If she were to jump now, it would be very bad for her. Not to mention the sharks that probably lived in the water; knowing Takeru, he would have picked such a spot just for her. Maybe even the sharks obeyed him. At this point, it was likely. What else could she do…tie the bed sheets together? No, she was too high up for that. With a cry of frustration, she slammed the window shut.

Back to the door, then. She would carve her way through it, no matter how thick the wood was. It would serve him right for locking her in his room. Now to find her sword…

A few minutes later, Hikari flopped over onto the large bed. The man had thought of _everything_. Then again, she supposed that he was a pirate. He would know all the tricks in the book; he'd probably tried them himself. He really had been serious when he'd said that he wanted her to remain behind without him. Now all she could do was worry about him and hope that he was going to come back home alive. It was not a pleasant state to be in, especially when all she wanted to be was close to him. No matter how horrible a pirate he had become, he was still Takeru, and she was still in love with him. Hikari crawled up further into the bed, the one place that was saturated with his very presence. He might get angry with her if he saw her here, but she was passed the point of caring. She just wanted him to come back to her safely.

~*~

The trek through the jungle was harder than the last one they had done. This place was much denser, the trees far older. It didn't help that the climb was mostly uphill. It had taken a while for Takeru to gather the courage and the supplies to lead his men here, but he now felt confident enough that he could do this. They said that a man with doubt in his heart would not be able to make such a journey and live to come back from it. It was at the urgings of the Cook and the Doctor that he had come here. They had told him of this place long ago, though neither of them had ventured here themselves. They said their grandfather had, and had barely lived to speak of it. Normally the men stayed out of his dealings as Captain Scar unless otherwise asked, but this time things were different. Takeru couldn't help but think that there was some sort of ulterior motive. Perhaps they had been too afraid to face this woman. Maybe there was something deeper and darker than that.

Truth be told, he didn't even know if this woman they spoke of was real. He was inclined to believe she wasn't, however at this point in his life he knew he couldn't be too set on things. But this place was where all pirates sought to go but were too afraid to venture to. Captain Scar wasn't. He was confident and secure in himself in all things. This woman, if she did exist, would not capture his heart so easily.

But a man in the grasp of deception is generally the only man who does not see it. Iori worried for his friend as they travelled, but knew he was in no position to argue the point. Takeru had settled many matters before coming on this journey; he had consistently braved the homeland of a savage tribe, plunged his ship and his crew into storms that had obliterated lesser ships, and he held an authority over the seas and those who traverse it that had not been seen in quite some time. Perhaps it was his young age and his charismatic personality that drew people to him and commanded respect. Whatever it was, he seemed to have something that the previous Captain Scars did not.

There was one matter, however, that had not been resolved. It was one that had been continually pushed aside. Though the Captain would dismiss it as something light, Iori knew better. When facing a witch who saw into the very depths of souls, settling matters of the heart was imperative. But Takeru had done nothing concerning the matters of Hikari. He knew they were in love with each other, it was just a matter of getting them to admit it. He could see that look in the girl's eyes as she watched her former best friend; that look that said she wanted so desperately for things to be as they had been over a decade ago. But he also knew that she was well aware of the fact that things were different…that Takeru was different.

The boy in question was a different matter. For one who knew him well it was easy to see how he cared for her. He treated her differently from other women; she was not just something to play with. He protected her with his life and made sure that she was safe and happy. But he was conflicted on the matter. The pirate life wasn't exactly one that condoned permanent relationships, especially when one was Captain Scar. His love for the girl and his love for the sea were in constant battle, and it was just a matter of him realising which was greater. If he was smart he would find a way to integrate both, but he also saw why he wouldn't want to do so.

But at least, if things went wrong here, Hikari was in the cabin. She didn't have to know what would happen to Takeru if he should fail. All his crew had to do was get him back to her alive. Maybe this would be good for him; maybe he would finally make a decision on the matter. Iori was just glad that his friend had been smart enough to leave her behind.

Takeru suddenly stopped, his eyes focused on something ahead of him. There was finally a break in the trees, where the light of day poured through and pierced the impending darkness. But for some reason this light did not give him comfort. If anything, it made him want to turn and go back to the ship. Back to where he knew where the darkness could not touch, no matter how suffocating it got. He would lock himself in his room with her and simply sit in her presence…

But he was not a coward. At least, not for very long. Without a word he continued on again, this time with more purpose than before. It was not long before they reached the clearing, all of the men having grown more silent than they ever had been. The fell in behind their captain out of instinct, though it was also fear that drove them to. Iori was the only one who walked in step with Takeru, though he was not immune to the worried feeling.

In the far corner there was a rather worn out-looking hut. It was rectangular in shape and had a thatched roof, its walls made of mud. Ornaments of fired clay adorned the outer walls, and though at one point it may have been very beautiful, now it looked rather sad. The clay was crumbling from wear and the whole hut seemed to be wasting away, as if the next windstorm would be the end of it. The forest behind the hut was darker than what they had come out of, and there was a certain eerie feeling that was carried out of it. The air was stale in that part of the forest; it could be smelled across the clearing. Whatever this witch was hiding, it must be very powerful indeed.

Not taking his eyes of the hut, Takeru began to speak. "Set up a perimeter. I do not want anything to disturb us." The pirates behind him began to shuffle, setting themselves up accordingly. Some of the men drifted into the tree line, while others remained closer to their captain.

"Are you certain you want to do this?" It was Iori who had spoken.

Takeru tore his eyes away from the hut for a moment to look down at his friend. "Do I have a choice? I've come this far."

"If anything happens…"

A light smirk touched at the corner's of the Captain's lips. "If it doesn't happen here I have a storm waiting for me when I get back. Either way I'm doomed."

Iori had to smile at that one. He was right, though; if this witch didn't finish him off, Hikari would do the job when he got back to her. The Captain had done quite the job in making sure that she would remain where she was, even going so far as to run the ship aground in order to keep her from escaping. His room was better secured than a jail cell, which Iori knew that he would have resorted to if it wasn't.

"Keep watch and do not move unless I say. Do not enter the hut under any circumstances. If she comes out before I do, run. Do not worry about me for I am already lost." It was the captain's job to sacrifice himself. They would heed his words; pirates were mostly cowards, especially when it came to the unknown. The stories of this woman were enough to have them turn tail and run, but they needed to be there for their captain.

With the resolve set on his face, Takeru began to walk towards the small hut. There was definitely not turning back now; there was only going forward.

~*~

Calmer of the Storm: I know it's short…but it's longer than what I initially had…haha. I had this chapter written out entirely different, when I really had no idea where this story was going. But I got struck with sudden inspiration and so now it's all good! I won't tell you what was going to happen because I may have it happen later, so you'll just have to wait!

I also realised something…this is not going to be a short story. I don't know how long it will be, but I realised I was going much too quickly. So I'm going to drag it out and hopefully put in some twists and turns that are unexpected. But if anyone wants to guess, go for it! I love hearing what you guys think!


	8. The Woman

Calmer of the Storm: I swear. I am really shooting myself for this. Haha. Seems like the only time I can write something good is when I'm dog tired. It's 1:30 am and I suddenly got hit with inspiration…great. Oh well. I had hit a writer's block anyways. Maybe that's the key to a good story. No sleep.

Okay. _This_ is the chapter that I have been dying to post. Lol. It's probably not even as epic as I'm making it out to be, but I still love it anyways!

~*~

_Chapter Seven: The Woman_

Takeru walked up to the worn out hut, his gait careful but steady. He had bidden his men to leave him alone as he did so; if the stories were true, he did not wish for them to endure the same fate. They hadn't exactly been quiet in their approach, though they had not spoken, and so there was no doubt in his mind that the sorceress was well aware that they had arrived. This thought was further accented by the sudden brightening of the candles visible through the windows and a sudden, eerie movement of the beads that covered the doorway. It was as if a gust of wind had blown through them, however it was coming from inside the hut and there was no wind to speak of. The chimes that rested just outside the overhang above the door did not shift, and looked as if they had not in decades.

Captain Scar paused only once at the entrance, his heart beating with doubt for a second. However he pressed through, disappearing into the impossibly deep inside to the rather small looking fixture. And so all his men could do now was wait and hope that their leader emerged from that door fully intact.

Inside, the place was deceivingly large. The walls were lined with various trinkets; most of them masks and things perhaps used in a spell. It seemed a little too cliché, but he also knew not to take things as he saw them. If this woman was truly as powerful as they said she was, he may not be seeing what was actually there. Of course, he would have to believe in magic to think like that. But since walking through that door, he was beginning to think that it was more and more of a reality than he had first thought.

Finally his cerulean eyes came to rest on a figure in the corner. It was the woman, he knew, though she did not match any descriptions he had heard. Her back was to him and she was hunched over the hearth that was typically the central place of a home; out of the way as if usually unnecessary. She gave no indication that she had noticed his entrance for a little while; she seemed rather occupied in tending to the dying fire. The young man shifted nervously on his feet; he didn't like feeling like this. He had half a mind to turn and leave now while he could, but something stopped him. His feet felt like lead, and something told him that he would not be able to run even if he wanted to. Despite this, he also could not bring himself to speak the first words.

When she did address him, her voice was such that it caused him to go into a slight state of shock; it was even further from what he had been expecting.

"Have a seat there, lad. No sense in wearing down your feet anymore if you don't have to." It was not a young voice, but neither was it old. She spoke as if she were a kindly grandmother, looking to spoil her grandchild. But there was an authority that rang in her words, one that ran deeper than anything he could ever achieve, though she had not spoken loudly. And despite the clarity of her voice there was something in there that said it was very ancient. Takeru knew that he should obey, no matter what reputation he had behind him.

After a few more moments of prodding at the fire, the woman turned. If her voice was startling than her face was even more so. Long, silver hair framed her delicate face in feathery whisps. Despite the colour it did not make her seem old, but rather it was as though she had had it since youth. The way the thick locks tumbled down over her shoulders and across her back suggested that it was not age that had done this to her. Her eyes were the colour of the ocean and as tumultuous as its waters, and even deeper than he imagined it would go. Her face, however, was not young. The weathered creases on her face suggested a divine beauty, once, though it had faded. But Takeru knew that any man would be a fool to call her anything but beautiful; there was just something about her that demanded it. Despite their obvious age difference he felt himself entranced. He wanted to get closer to her, to see what she was really like, to know the mysteries that were embedded deep within her sea-green eyes…

A light chuckle from the older woman caused him to snap back to reality, setting him rigid within his chair.

"You have come a long way." She stated, her eyes dancing and an amused smile curling at her ancient lips.

The Captain could only dumbly nod. What was to be said in the presence of such a woman?

She was silent a moment, her eyes searching the very depths of his soul. "You have come in search of something far greater than any mortal man can guard."

He was not totally thrown off by this; it was common knowledge that she was hiding some sort of great power. He was not the first to come looking for it. But again, Takeru found that he could say nothing.

Another lapse of silence fell, and it became clear to him that she wasn't going to say anything further. If he was smart he might get up and leave now, but he had come much too far for that. There was no turning back. He swallowed hard and opened his mouth. He had approached the hut with the intent of saying something deep and meaningful, something that rang with the authority he had earned for himself. It would have been some sort of demand to know where it was she kept this thing so often spoken about. Instead his voice failed him, and he managed to crack out a meagre: "They say you are a devourer of hearts."

This seemed to greatly amuse the older woman. She had not moved from her spot at the hearth, though she had turned to fully face him. Her hands were adorned with rings of every jewel; Takeru thought he recognised the insignias of various lords. "Only of men, my dear lad, and you are still but a boy." Her sea-foam eyes danced with the light of the fire, "Besides, your heart is in a state of confusion. Undecided hearts do not taste so good."

There was something in her tone that told her she was playing with him, but there was also something else that told him she wasn't. Takeru knew that it would probably be best not to press the subject in that direction any more than it needed to be. It didn't matter to him that she couldn't possibly know anything about the state of his heart or his mind; he had said nothing to her save for those eight words.

Finally she rose from her stool. Where she had seemed so small and unimposing before, suddenly she was a creature that demanded respect. Takeru felt himself shrinking in her presence, wishing now that he had left when he'd gotten the chance to. She had borne him no ill actions up until this point, but something told him that he did not want to provoke her.

She walked to the south wall of her hut, reaching out and pulling something off the shelf. Takeru saw that it was a pair of glasses; though why she would have that, he had no idea. "You are not the first Captain Scar to grace my presence. I had thought to strike you down as I had promised Jed I would all those years ago."

Jed…he was the first Captain Scar.

"But I can see that you are not of his line…sneaky those men are, I'll tell you. But I suppose it's difficult to find a suitable successor, in this day and age." Takeru really had no idea what she was talking about, but he decided to let it slide. But it did shed some light onto why the brothers had been so insistent that he do this, and why they had not.

"Tell me, what is it that they had you seek? I would imagine that the brothers asked to be stationed as far away from my home as possible…they still fear my wrath."

She had spoken the truth, but he didn't want to tell her that. "I know little of what I seek…only that it is a treasure greater than any other."

The older woman sighed. "You and every other young man that goes gallivanting off into the world. Do you really believe all the stories? There is no treasure here. At least, not one that is tangible. Not one that you can sell or boast of. In fact, should you tell anyone about it, I imagine that they would think you insane. Are you prepared for it?"

Takeru wasn't so sure anymore.

"So many men…I've seen them fall. They think they can handle it but they cannot. Very few have escaped with their sanity. They blame it on many things, but it is only their own stupidity. I give them all that they desire and still they want more." As she spoke the woman reached out to touch a pair of gauntlets that sat dust-covered on the shelf. There was a strange and sad quality that crept into her voice and suddenly she looked very old.

"So many men…" she repeated, her voice fading as she gave another long look at the gauntlets.

Turning back to Takeru, her previous countenance had returned. "They do not know that it is not what I need. To the one who realises what I do need, _he_ will be the one to inherit such a power."

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing, dear boy. But know that my body is not immortal, despite how I look."

More silence fell, and Takeru's gaze drifted to the dying flames. She was not giving him straight answers; her words did not make sense. "Will you give me what I seek?"

The old woman smiled. "For you? No. I once allowed others to see as I do because I did not care what it would do to them. But I am much too old for that now, and I see something in you that I have not seen for quite some time. It gives me hope, hope that there is something to help me."

The pirate captain furrowed his brow, suddenly feeling as though he had been tricked into something. "So that's it? I come all this way and risk my men for nothing?"

"You, Takaishi Takeru, can do more for me than any other man has been able to for quite some time. You harbour now something that is far greater than even you can understand. I suspect that you have not realised it yet, and I also know that if you do not realise it soon it will be lost to you forever." Her eyes suddenly went distant again, her face growing strangely ancient. "And if you lose it, so too will I. When you've figured it out, Takeru, come back again and see me. Until then I will continue destroying the lives of the young men who come my way. It gives me good sport, you know." Her lips had formed a smirk once more, and with that she turned back to her fire, placing herself back onto the stool.

"What is it? I don't…I have no power! I have no idea of what you speak about…give me a hint, something…"

"So eager for power and yet unwilling to work for it. Tell me, do the farmer's crops harvest themselves each year? Do trees bear fruit if they have not been watered?"

"At least a farmer knows his crop."

"I will help you in your time of greatest need, boy. Come before that, however, and I will not let you go so easily."

His jaw clenched. She was giving him nothing. Speaking in riddles and not answering questions. This was pointless. Takeru stared at her, intending to show that he was not backing down, however after a few minutes he realised that he would have a better time trying to convince a mountain to move; this woman was not going to give him anything else. With that, he exited the hut.

The old woman turned again, watching as the beads still danced after being disturbed by his movement. A heavy sigh escaped her lips and a forlorn look set into her deep eyes. "I've given you all you need, boy." More than that, if one thought about it. Only once before had she let a man leave with his sanity fully intact. Shaking her head she grabbed her prod once more and moved some of the logs into place. If he didn't figure it out soon, her time would be up. Her light was fading…soon it would go out. The fire flickered a moment, as if showing its attempt to spark. But this fire had not raged for quite some time now, and it was only a matter of time before the flames went out completely.

The crew watched carefully as their captain stormed out of the hut. At first they looked for any signs of insanity, but he seemed fine. His heart was still intact, as far as they could tell, and he had not been ensnared by the beautiful woman that supposedly dwelled within the hut.

"We're heading back to the ship. There is nothing for us here." He was angry, that much they could tell. But no one dared to ask the Captain just what had gone on within the small building, though no one was foolish enough to think it had been nothing.

~*~

Hikari had not had the greatest afternoon. She had finished what food they had left for her, paced around the room a few times, banged on the door more than that, and was now once more lying within the comfort of his bed. It was much more comfortable than her measly mat, and in her anger at him she was going to take advantage of it. You didn't touch the Captain's things, even if you were living in his room. But she was all about breaking the rules now.

The sun was setting over the island, and Hikari felt herself drifting off to sleep. Though she had not done much that day it had been emotionally taxing as she bounced back and forth between worrying for him and wishing the worst kinds of death over him. To add to this she had not gotten very much sleep the night before. All of these things were contributing to the fact that she was now falling asleep.

That was until the door burst open. It hit the wall with a bang, sufficiently startling the girl and waking her up. She was sitting bolt upright now, having been scared half to death into this position. She looked wide-eyed at the man who had entered it; none other than Captain Scar himself. As she realised what was going on her gaze settled into a glare, and she had all sorts of nasty things bottled up to say to him. However, these things were silenced as she saw the look on his face.

He was _angry_. More angry than she had ever seen him before. Takeru had a keen sense of right and wrong; at least, he had when he was younger. Things that fell into the 'wrong' category often made him angry. Injustice was not something he stood for, and she knew that not even this life had beaten that out of him. So what sort of injustice had he encountered now?

The Captain stormed across the room towards the window, only stopping when he punched the windowpane hard with his fist. Hikari could see the blood as his skin broke over the wood, but it didn't seem to faze him. She had never seen him act out like this before; usually such an action was reserved for his brother. But she supposed that there always had been a violent side to her best friend as well…and the pirate life had done no good in trying to suppress it.

"You're in my bed." He stated, clearly irked by the fact, though he didn't look at her.

Her initial shock at his reaction was beginning to wear off. "You locked me in your room."

"For your own good."

"A lot of good it's done."

He was really seething now. "I'd get out, unless you'd like me to take my frustration out on _you_."

He still wasn't looking at her, but Hikari was now more afraid of him than she ever had been in her life. Had she ever been afraid of him? She didn't think so. Angry tears stung her eyes and she clenched her jaw. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen. He wasn't supposed to say things like that to her. To his best friend.

"Fine." Came her curt response, and she was out of his bed in a flash. Not only that, but she was out of his room. She couldn't stand to be with him there tonight. It seemed like such a petty thing, but it had cut her down to her very soul. Seeing that Takeru was capable of such ire…it hurt more than she would have thought. Especially because it had been directed at her, though she had not been at fault. Before she had always been able to calm him down; to be his voice of reason. Hikari realised that she had not handled things well, but it still hurt to know that she did not have the same effect on him as she had when they were younger. Realising this caused her to wonder if maybe there was no hope for her anymore. No hope for _them_. She had already known she was a fool for allowing herself to love a pirate, but she had counted on finding Takeru somewhere beneath Captain Scar. But maybe Takeru was too far gone now. Maybe she was much too late in finding him. She had not done enough, clearly, and now there was no hope. Hope was lost. Maybe the next time they ran into Willis she would take up his offer after all.

Takeru watched her leave, suddenly feeling horrible for saying what he had. She deserved better than that. And to think, he had almost lost control of himself. He didn't know why but in that moment he had needed her so desperately…needed her more than he ever had. He had said nothing of his dealings with the sorceress to his men, and he had fully intended on speaking about it to Hikari. But there was something about being in her presence…it drew him in. And in his frustration he found that he desired her more than he ever thought possible. But he couldn't hurt her. In his state he knew that not even being beside her would be enough. It was the same feeling he had gotten when he was with the witch, though he suspected that it was because she was enchanted. Wasn't that what they said? And now he was projecting such a thing onto Hikari, the woman he loved. In doing so he was going to push her away. Not that he hadn't been doing a good job of that lately, and something told him that she wasn't going to be returning to his room at all that night. For the first time in a long time he would be facing the darkness of the night alone, and the thought of it was more frightening than he had even imagined it would be.

~*~

Calmer of the Storm: dun dun duuuuuuuuuuunnnnnnnnn…so there you have it! A falling out. Well, it had to happen at some point, right? Now the question is…is this the end of the falling out? When is the reconciliation? _Will there even be reconciliation_??? Who knows!! Haha. Let me know what you think!


	9. Indecision

Calmer of the Storm: Sooo…my last chapter was an epic fail. Oh well. Guess I was the only one that thought it was, like, the best thing ever. xD

Enjoy!

~*~

_Chapter Eight: Indecision_

If things had been stagnant between them before, it seemed now like they were going backwards. He talked to her less than he ever had, and she never made an effort to change that. In Hikari's mind he was just being a stubborn child; he had clearly not gotten his way on the island and was now taking it out on everyone and everything. It was not just her that he was ignoring, but even the rest of his crew were being neglected. Takeru had never been good with keeping pent up emotions; they always directed his actions. This was no exception.

And these actions were going to drive her insane. Of course it didn't help that he was spending more nights away from her and in the taverns. Never did she have the heart to ask what he was really doing down there, and none of the crew cared to tell her. She could see the looks they gave her though, the pitied expressions in their eyes as she walked by. They all knew how she felt about him, it seemed, and they also all knew that her love was hopeless. As close as she was to accepting this fact, she wasn't quite ready to give up. Not without one more try.

Getting Takeru alone was more difficult than she would ever have imagined. Since visiting the island they had made another trip to the tribesmen that Captain Scar had an agreement with, though this time Hikari stayed back. They also had encountered a few more skirmishes in Rustico, most of them right after returning from the island. Things spread quickly, it seemed, and all of them wanted a piece of what they thought Captain Scar had attained. About this he seemed frustrated, and Hikari wasn't sure she had ever thought him capable of killing so many people. They may have had it coming, but that still didn't make her comfortable with it. She supposed he really had become a pirate after all. Maybe there would be no changing him.

But finally she did have a lucky break. They were once again in Rustico, this time just after pillaging a local farming town. The night was quiet and dark, for the moon and stars were hidden behind a thick veil of low hanging clouds. She did as she always did on nights like this, when the ship was moored in that particular town. The girl had yet to actually venture onto its grounds, and she didn't see herself doing so anytime soon. The mere thought of what could be going on inside of there made her sick…and so she would rather just pretend and be innocent to all things. The low hanging cloud cover provided a sombre atmosphere, though it was not a far reflection from what was in her heart. The not knowing…it was virtually killing her.

But the Captain had not strayed into the familiar town that night as he usually did. For some reason his heart was heavy, and not even out-of-tune music and raging drunkards would lift his spirits tonight. He didn't know why he was feeling like this; things weren't much different than they usually were. No, that wasn't true. He knew very well why he was feeling this way; it was just a matter of actually admitting it to himself. The truth of the matter was that the words of the old woman were weighing heavily on him. But even more so than that, it was the fact that he had pushed Hikari so far from his presence that she barely even looked at him now. Her light was so far gone from him that he was beginning to lose his way in the suffocating darkness. There were times he thought he could feel her eyes on him, but quick glances in her direction usually did away with these assumptions. Knowing that he was driving her away from him was ripping him in two.

Hikari made his life complicated. Some would say that the simple and obvious answer was to accept her feelings, if it was bothering him so much. But now he had reached the point where he wasn't even so sure anymore…he knew he had taken her heart and stomped on it many times. Every second he spent in the tavern was torment; the crimson-eyed girl would not leave his mind. And yet he could not ask her to be with him, for he did not wish for her to have such a life. She deserved much more than what he could give her. Perhaps if he were not a pirate things would be different, but he now bore a love of the sea; he was a far cry from the righteous young boy he had once been. There was not a spot of purity on his heavily tainted soul, and Hikari was the embodiment of purity itself. How could he corrupt that?

And so the other option would be to drive her away…but he could not to that, either. He loved her far too much for that. In this way he was being selfish; the pirate side of him taking over more than it ever had before. To claim her as his own and never have another man touch her…it was a very seductive thought. He'd already let this slip, in those brief moments with the Navy Commander. That the two of them had met Takeru was not overly surprised about, but to know that he had pursued her…it made his blood boil. It had roused him in such a manner that he had even caused his tongue to slip, allowing one small piece of vital information to slide through. What she had thought of it, however, he may never know.

It was this dilemma that had kept him back. The Captain had fully intended on remaining in his quarters the whole time, away from the girl as much as possible. She still slept on his floor, for he would never subject her to the will of his crew, but they still rarely saw each other. He knew she was here also, and so he would avoid her with everything he had.

And yet he could not. Before he could even really stop himself he found that he was standing and staring at her lithe form as she leaned against the railing, staring out into the open ocean. She was at the stern of the ship, the details of her now dark form difficult to make out. In the distance he could hear the familiar din of music as it rose from the city, but it brought him no comfort. The blond haired man stopped for a moment, finding that his heart was pounding. He did not know what the expression on her face was, and he knew that he was afraid to find out. What would cause her to stare out into the ocean like that? Longing? Longing for home, or perhaps for a man who had promised to give her a decent home? He couldn't think any further about it.

Takeru had been about to turn away from her before she noticed when he clumsily hit his head on the doorframe. He blamed the darkness and his current lack of perception, but knew it was really only due to his inattentive state of mind. The sound alerted the girl, causing her to whip around to see what had caused it.

It took her a moment to see exactly who it was, for she could not quite believe it. Usually he took to the town with the rest of them; to see him here on the ship was very strange. She had thought it odd that more than the usual amount of crewmen had gone off the ship, but she understood it now. Very few would dare attack the ship that Captain Scar himself was currently on, outnumbered or not. Especially not after he had come back from _L'Isola di Vita _and lived.

"I've heard that door has a tendency to move every now and then." Despite her attempt at a joke, her tone was not as light as it should have been.

Despite this, Takeru had to smile. "So that's it. I was beginning to wonder."

Hikari was not sure what she should say next, and instead allowed for the awkward silence to linger. So now he was talking to her? She knew it was what she had been hoping for, but she couldn't really bring herself to think much of it. Lately his mood swings were getting more and more drastic, or so it seemed, and she just didn't know what to do with herself.

Takeru was not oblivious to the tension, and after a few moments had passed he also realised that she probably wasn't going to say anything further. He knew that he deserved it; his way of treating her lately had not been the best. Considering that she had searched for four years to find him…he knew that she deserved much better. Though he knew that he was not the best friend she once knew, and he never would be again.

He knew he could very easily have walked away, but there was something about her that did not allow him to do so. She had not turned back to the ocean, but he could tell that she was no longer looking at him. She was being cautious, he knew, allowing him to both approach and leave, though expecting the latter. An unknown courage took a hold of his heart, and Takeru took the few steps and closed the distance between them.

Placing himself at her side, he leaned forwards and rested his arms on the railing. Still he was wondering what he was going to say, and he could almost swear the girl could hear the drumming of his heart against his ribcage.

She could not, however, hear it for the pounding of her own heart.

"You didn't go with the others." She stated finally, still facing away from the ocean. She had taking to leaning against the railing again, this time with her back.

"Couldn't bring myself to." He answered quietly but truthfully.

For a moment Hikari watched him, wondering if this was going to be her break. He seemed like he was in the mood to talk. It might be now or never. She knew that whatever happened tonight would be the deciding factor in whether she remained on this ship or not; whether she gave up on him or not. It was a scary thought, but the girl knew that she could not live with this uncertainty for any longer.

"What happened back there?"

He was not stupid. Though it had been a few weeks ago, Takeru knew very well what she was talking about. For a moment he hesitated. Did he really want to tell her? There was something…some unknown force that was compelling him to do so. It was a strange feeling, but it was one that he had even more strangely, felt before. His mind began to drift to the place of where he could have told her, and immediately he rebuked the thought. Somehow he knew that things would change between them if he told her everything, though he was afraid to know how. What the Captain was unaware of was how much they would change if he didn't tell her anything at all.

"Most of it is not of any consequence."

Hikari felt her heart lurch into her throat and she almost let out a small chuckle. What else was she expecting? But being the masochist that she was, she pressed for more. The hope within her had not been completely killed…he had not yet crushed it completely. But with her hope so too would go her heart. She knew this, it just hadn't quite registered. Maybe if she was a smarter woman she would have held onto that small piece of it any longer. "And what of the rest?"

He almost brushed her off completely. But something told him he shouldn't. Something told him he _couldn't_. It took him a few minutes to respond, enough time for Hikari to begin losing the little hope that she had left. It was also enough time for Takeru to convince himself out of telling her everything.

"It was…unexpected. The woman was old and she guards no treasure. She speaks in riddles and gives only what she wants to. It is clear that she is very, very powerful, however."

It was more information than he had given anyone else, but Hikari also knew that it was still not enough. Though she could not see the details of his face, she knew that he would not be telling her anymore. With this fact came the shattering of the last bit of her heart. Never did she think, not in a million years, that things would end up like this. A decade she had waited and searched, but he was much too far gone now. Maybe if she hadn't waited…maybe if she was stronger, or better, or…

But she wasn't. She wasn't any of those things. And she knew now that there was nothing about her that could hold him to her. Yes, they had a past together, but she knew that it wasn't amounting to much anymore. He knew the women in the tavern better than he knew her, and she slept every night in his room. The girl's gaze fell to the deck beneath her as she came to the realisation that Takeru was just not who he used to be. He was Captain Scar now, and not even she was enough to change that.

"I suppose I'll be heading to bed, then." And with that she took leave from her spot on the railing and made her way to the Captain's quarters. Tomorrow would be a day of decisions and she would need a good night's rest.

Takeru watched her go, suddenly feeling a heavy weight on his heart, one bigger than he had ever felt before. There was something that told him things were not right; that he should have said more. He almost stopped her has she retreated into the darkness of the ship's cabin, but he didn't. He did not call out to her, and he made no move to follow. The darkness that had been clouding his heart somehow got thicker, clouding over the one spot in his heart that had been reserved for something better. The knowledge of the feeling made him sad, though he didn't know exactly what could have brought this on.

It was a long while later before the Captain finally did follow the girl, slipping into his own bed with a heavy mind. Despite all of this he still went to sleep, oblivious of what would be coming to him in the morning.

~*~

Calmer of the Storm: Alrighty. So we're getting somewhere here, not quite the climax, still more development stuff. But I'm still hoping you guys like it…and don't forget to let me know!


	10. Decisions

Calmer of the Storm: Uhh….hi! So I realise that this chapter is a long time coming…with the epic failure of my last chapter (despite my thinking otherwise, lol), the start of school and a crazy busy schedule I haven't been able to get anything up. I can't say when the next chapter is coming out, but I do actually have the end more-or-less written, which is inspiration for me.

Enjoy!

~*~

_Chapter Nine: Decisions_

As the rays of sunlight poured into the window, this time it was Hikari who had woken first. The light in her eyes was startling as she was not used to it; usually the sun remained hidden behind the dense curtains. Groggily the girl sat up, her eyes drifting to the bed where Takeru remained, still heavily draped in slumber. She then looked towards the source of the light; he had forgotten to close the curtains the night before. That was very out of character for him; he was a creature of habit, even a perfectionist at times. He must have been in quite the occupied state of mind for him to forget something like that.

Knowing that she would not fall asleep again, Hikari pulled herself from her mat. Quietly she moved to the window where she drew the thick material across them, effectively blotting out most of the light that was making its way through. She did not know when he had come in last night, but she knew it was late. The Captain deserved his sleep, and none of the crew would be lively this morning anyways. Besides, she needed time to think…time to plan.

When she made it down into the mess hall portion of the ship, there were a few others down there. The food wasn't exactly something to really be enjoyed, but she had gotten used to it after a few months. On this ship in particular it was better than most, but that was simply because they were the best at what they did, thus being able to bring in more supplies. Placing herself at the end of one of the tables, closest to the kitchen, she began eating her bowl of stew.

The girl was halfway through her meal when another came to sit with her. She didn't have to look up to know who it was; she saw the thick scar that knotted up his arm. She was not uncomfortable in his presence, as one might think she would be. Given the reputation that he had behind him, it would be quite understandable if she didn't enjoy her present company. But Hikari had always found the Cook to be a good sort of man to talk to, even with the blood-soaked legends that were in his wake.

"Yer not sleepin' in this mornin'", he stated.

A smile graced her lips, "Someone forgot to close the curtains last night."

The Cook smiled in response, knowing full well who she was referring to. He of all people was not oblivious to the effect that the girl had on Captain Scar, and nor was he oblivious to the effect he had on her. The two were absolutely smitten with each other; it was just a matter of getting them to sort it all out. He knew very well that things were complicated; this girl was from a life of high-society. And he liked to think he knew Takeru well enough to know why he would be struggling with this. There were reasons he had chosen the boy to be his successor, and it was not simply because he needed one not of his family line. It was true that he wanted nothing more than to attain the power that the witch held, but there was something about the boy that had caused him to think about other things. Initially he _had_ meant to kill him when the ransom was not paid, however the boy's innocence had stopped him. Not that killing innocents had ever really bothered him before, but it was almost like there was something more…something in the boy's future that he could not really foresee, only feel. So far, Takeru had not let him down.

"Ah, well, the boy's got a lot on 'is mind." He was pressing for something, his tone indicative of this more than his words.

This fact was not lost on Hikari, though she could offer him nothing. There wasn't anything more to tell. "Mmmhmm."

The Cook was not stupid; he knew when things were not going well. So he chose not to press the matter any further.

A silence fell, and the two of them sat in it while Hikari finished the rest of her breakfast.

It was when she was finished that a thought occurred to her. In the silence her mind had been churning; she had figured out a plan, it was just a matter of when she was going to be able to execute it.

"When is the next supply run?" The question was innocent enough; she could be making small talk, for all her companion knew.

The Cook look a little confused by her question, but other than that was not at all put out by it. "Today, actually." He motioned to the stew, "As ya can see, we're gettin' a little low."

Hikari nodded, she'd just gotten her break. She was a little nervous that it had come so soon, however she knew she would be unable to wait until the next time. If she were to go back on her decision now it would only be the cause of more heartache and confusion, and that wasn't something she wanted to relive. Takeru wasn't going to change, and she didn't need the time to convince herself again that he could.

~*~

It was in the late morning when the preparations were being made to set out. The ship had set sail again that morning when the Captain had awoken, much to the chagrin of his crewmen, much earlier than anyone had anticipated. He seemed to realise that this day was important for the survival and morale of his crew (for, without food, he knew very well that a ship full of pirates would do nothing) and wanted to get it underway as soon as possible.

It was not until that point that Hikari had gotten a chance to talk to the Captain, due to her having to keep to her own duties and also not getting close to Takeru for all the running around he was doing. She had stopped him rather abruptly, almost shocking him. She had never gone on any of the supply runs; then again, he didn't typically either. And he hadn't planned on going on this one.

"I want to go." She said, the resolve and determination set firmly on her face.

Takeru was about to protest, but he knew that Hikari could be quite stubborn when she wanted to be. Judging by the look on her face, she didn't seem like she was all that willing to compromise on this matter.

"Why?" He finally asked, though it was clear through his clipped tone that he was not exactly pleased.

"There are some things I need to take care of." She said, and the finality in her tone told him she would be giving him no more information on the matter.

They stared each other down a moment, and Takeru knew he was fighting a losing battle.

Finally, he sighed. "Alright, then, but take too long and we're leaving without you." A lie, of course; he could never leave her anywhere. But he had to at least make it sound good, and that wasn't difficult when he was rather annoyed with her at the moment.

Hikari had not missed it; the 'we're' had indicated that he would be joining them as well. It didn't matter; everything was already set.

The ride over to the mainland, to the port city of Verra, was long and quiet. They had taken two smaller vessels, each of the crew members dressed in merchant uniforms. The city was controlled by the government, obviously, and it was a danger to be a pirate. Captain Scar and his men were frequents there, however the townspeople were not so noble as everyone liked to think. The keepers of Verra had always prided themselves in keeping a safe city, for no pirates ever attacked and none were ever found walking its streets. What the officials did not know was that there was a silent agreement between the pirates and the various merchants and tradesmen of the town; as long as supplies were sold, there would be no need for pillaging. Despite the ruthless and selfish behaviours the pirate world seemed to have acknowledged the fact that in order for them to survive on stealing gold, the economy needed to be kept afloat in order for there to actually be gold to steal. The men who guarded the town were either involved or oblivious, each of which made it quite easy for a pirate to sneak in.

Once docked, Hikari set off on her own. She had indicated that the business she needed to take care of was out of her own interests, and she would not require any help. Her tone had also spoke volumes of the fact that she did not want any help either; which meant no one was to follow. Though Captain Scar was tempted, for the curiosity was gnawing at his gut, he managed to refrain himself from following her.

The girl was not familiar with the winding streets of the city; however it wasn't all that difficult. The people were agreeable; despite its dealings with pirates it was actually quite clean. The cobblestone roads were wide and easily traversed, though the buildings were tall and suffocating. But she found what she was looking for without too much trouble, and even less after she had asked a few of the guardsmen where to find it.

With a deep breath, Hikari entered the Navy Outpost with a letter in hand.

~*~

They were all back to the boats at the appointed time, though when Hikari got there they were already loading the lifeboats with the supplies. Various sacks of grains and meats and vegetables were loaded; the latter of which would probably be consumed within the next few days. Meat and vegetables did not keep well for a number of reasons; the preservatives only went so far and the pirates were always more than eager to eat something more than breads and cereals and meagre stews. Indulging was a common thing in the pirate world, and rationing was almost unheard of.

Upon seeing her, Takeru could not help but wonder again what she had been doing. "Did you get everything you needed to done?" He had been meaning for it to come out harsher than that, however it was difficult to do. He hadn't seen her all day…her absence was wearing on him.

"I did, thank you." And with that she piled onto the boat. She would tell him what she'd done sooner or later, when the opportunity presented itself. She wasn't particularly angry with him, but neither did she feel like talking. And this wasn't exactly the sort of news that she would break to him when she was mad at him; that would not be fair. Whether things had changed between them or not, they still had a history together.

Without another word on the subject the rest of the supplies were loaded and they set off once more to the ship which was moored around the cliffs of the cove, where it could remain hidden for the right amount of time from the soldiers. Now there was time to make preparations for their next conquest; Captain Scar was leading them to some uncharted territories. The anticipation that buzzed through the crew was hard to ignore.

~*~

It was a few days after their excursion into Verra that Commander Willis of the Royal Navy received a letter. He was curious to its content, for it lacked any sort of official seal and there was no name written on it. And why something like this would come from Verra, he had no idea.

When he opened the letter, there wasn't much to it. But what it did say meant more to him than any official order he had ever received.

_Dear Willis,_

_A month from now, perhaps not exactly, I shall be in the port city of Verra once more. I would request that you be there to retrieve me._

_Sincerely, _

_Yagami Hikari_

A smile crossed his lips. There was nothing sentimental about the letter, but it was a step. She was finally leaving that place…and that man…where she did not belong. The anticipation might be too much for him to handle, if only because she had not mentioned his offer at all. But when she was back where she did belong, the Commander knew that it would be much easier for him to convince her to see his way of thinking.

~*~

Calmer of the Storm: Heh. I got nothing smart to say, 'cept for you guys to let me know what you thought!


	11. Raid

Calmer of the Storm: So….I know it's been a while. Probably a little too long, but it's better than what I've done! I still know how it's going to end, which is better than what I did to myself (and you guys) with my last story (the one before 'Carried away by love') and I will not do it with this one. We're actually getting close to the end, two or three more chapters after this. So it is after writing 4 essays that I decided I finally needed to write something on a leisure basis…so here it goes!!!

~*~

_Chapter Ten: Raid_

The month was dragging on longer than she ever would have anticipated. Things had not changed between the two of them, but this was partially because Hikari was intentionally distancing herself from Takeru. They barely spoke now, even though they still slept in the same room. She did her work just like the rest of them did, and so there was no reason for him to even reprimand her.

The lack of communication was killing him. Ever since their supply run almost two weeks ago she had become increasingly distant. Unfortunately for Takeru, he was unable to look just a little further back than that significant event to a short conversation on the deck the night before. He did not realise what he had done; that he had pushed her so far away. Or perhaps he did, he was just unable to come to terms with it. He loved her, that much was clear, but the very life he led now stopped him from telling her. She didn't deserve this. He knew that. He shouldn't burden her down with this life. But oh, how he wanted her. It was enough to cause him physical pain.

This frustration was not getting him anywhere. Another man might have blown off the steam with hunting or a good duel with a friend, but Takeru was not just any man. He was Captain Scar, and there was only one way that Captain Scar burned off his frustrations. He did it the same way that any other self-respecting pirate would; he went on a raid. They had not done anything significant in the passed few months, and Takeru chuckled ruefully to himself as he realised they had not done anything like that since Hikari arrived on the ship. Well, that was about to change. He didn't care that she would see what he had really become; that just didn't matter anymore. For some reason he felt that she was too far gone for him to redeem himself in her eyes. Something told him that he should try harder; that he should actually care. But he didn't.

The Captain was in his quarters surrounded by his best men. He was leaning over a table, upon which a great map was spread out before him. It was a map of the surrounding area, one that had clearly been used for many decades. The markings of previous Captain Scars, including some from the original (or so they said), marred some of the finer details of the map, making its yellowed surface even harder to read.

"We're going here." He said, his ocean blue eyes having frozen over as he stared out into the small crowd that he had gathered around him. His finger rested upon a small island just off the mainland, and he silently dared anyone to challenge his order.

An uneasy quiet hung in the room, and a few of the pirates shifted their feet. "Cap'n…if I be so bold…" One of them spoke, and the Captain's icy gaze drilled a hole right through him. The man swallowed hard, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable, "That…that island has never been taken. Ev'ry one who's gone ther ain't never come back. You sure this is a good idea? I mean…"

Captain Scar stood to his full height, and though he was as tall as the rest, his presence suddenly grew more ominous. "I am well aware of that. Don't you think it's a good reason to go? The treasure is legendary. We would be rich men."

"I jus…I dunno, Cap'n. Seems like a death warrant ta me."

"Then we shall drop you off on _L'Isola di Vita_ on the way. I'm sure our dear friend the old woman wouldn't mind a victim or two to keep her company." Even as he said this, his own heart skipped a beat and his mouth went dry. There was something about that island…something in his mind that went back to what that woman had said…

He ignored it.

"I'm in." The man said quickly. The other men grunted and nodded in agreement, and suddenly there was a new thrill that charged the air. If anyone could do this, Captain Scar could.

"We've got just over two weeks, then, before we run out of supplies. Eighteen days, give or take, and we have to be back in Verra or we'll all starve." He was getting down to business now; soon he would delegate rolls and as soon as they broke from their meeting the ship would set sail, its course set for Veneno*.

A grin finally stretched across the Captain's features, "Of course, we will return to Verra as rich men, and we'll dine like kings."

The general sentiment in the room was one of agreement.

~*~

While all of this was going on, Hikari had been mindlessly doing her work. Over the course of the passed few weeks this was what she had been doing; remaining inconspicuous. Most of the men did not bother her anymore, whether it was for lack of interest or from threats from the Captain she didn't know, and she didn't care to find out. Today was not going to be any different; as far as she knew there was no agenda. No trades to make and no strange islands to visit. This was the pirate life at its absolute dullest.

However, as she was beginning to notice, today _was_ turning out to be different. The fact that she had not seen Takeru in some time did not alarm her, for they generally avoided each other these days. But there was an overall lack of anyone who was of a high rank on the ship; this meant that the deck was unusually quiet. There wasn't anyone to yell at the rest of the crew for slacking off, which meant that there was also very little work getting done.

During the absence of authority, Hikari figured that this would be a good time to clean the helm of the ship. Takeru was always here, and so she avoided it. No one else wanted to touch it for they were deathly afraid of him; especially these days when his mood seemed to be darker than usual. In effect nothing ever got done, and despite the yelling and berating that went on because of it, it still remained the same. Pirates were generally useless when it came to this sort of thing.

Of course, it was just her luck that the meeting would be adjourned just when she was in the middle of what she was doing. It was far too late to stop now, for she was already half done, and she had been in her own little world for enough time that she had barely noticed the mass exodus of the ship's officials until they were all coming her way. Sighing in resignation, she leaned against her mop for a moment. There would be no avoiding him now.

As Takeru neared her she noted the new look that was on his face. His eyes were still ice, as they had been since their conversation, but there was a smirk now that graced his lips that had not been there before. He walked with an air of confidence that had eluded him for the passed couple of weeks, and those within his physical sphere of influence seemed to gravitate just a little further from him in subconscious fear of what he was now capable of.

It was Iori who placed himself at her side, realising that she was now the only member of the crew who had no idea what was going on.

"We're going on a raid." He stated, though his eyes were fixed upon the Captain as hers were.

This got her attention. "Where?"

"Veneno. It's never been raided. They say it's too dangerous."

"So why…?"

Iori couldn't help but smile a little; he knew the real reason, but he wasn't going to tell her that. "He's Captain Scar. He can do whatever he wants."

She had to give him that one. Hikari thought for a moment, pursing her lips. "I suppose he expects me to remain here while he does it."

Iori knew where this was going, and he had to admit he liked it. If anything would get these two together, this had to be it. If anything, it would break this silence between them. "Naturally."

Hikari clenched her jaw and placed the mop against the railing. "Well, he's got another thing coming to him, then. I won't be left behind."

With that, she marched towards the Captain with a confidence that she had not had in a while. She didn't know where it came from, or what possessed her to think that she actually wanted to go with him, but her body seemed to be acting on its own. She knew that, when they were finished, she would be leaving him. She hadn't told him, but perhaps it would be a good time to. She just wanted to spend as much time with him as possible, even if it meant putting herself in dangerous situations.

Takeru stopped when he saw her, his face setting into a placid mask and his heart sputtering wildly within his chest. He said nothing, knowing that she was coming to him with a purpose; that much was written across her face. He even thought he knew what she was going to say.

"I'm coming." She said as soon as she'd come to stand beside him. Her words were succinct and her tone resolute.

Despite the unease within him, Takeru remained outwardly calm. "That is out of the question."

"I can help."

"You'll be a liability."

"I'm sure you can find me something to do. I'll be a decoy or something." She was looking him square in the face; something she had not done in quite some time.

His heart lurched within him at the thought of putting her in such danger. He would never ask that of her. "No." His tone was final.

"I'll break out. Beach the ship and I'll jump anyways. I'm not staying this time."

He could tell by the fire in her auburn eyes that she was serious. If she was willing to cause herself bodily harm to follow, there was probably no sense in forcing her to stay. It was just a matter of finding out which was the least dangerous for her do to. The two remained locked in each other's gaze for a few moments while he deliberated. Before he knew what was happening he was pulled towards her like a magnet; she seemed to exude her own, personal force that drew him in. He realised this when his face was only inches from hers; so close that he could taste her breath. It was incredibly tempting, and he was only seconds away from claiming her lips when his senses came back to him. Had they been alone, and not under the rather intruding gaze of over half of the crewmen, Takeru knew he would not have been able to resist.

"You can be the pack mule." He stated finally, not replacing the distance between them just yet. It almost did him in to notice that she was just as affected as he had been, but he knew he must keep his composure. He wasn't so far gone that he could lose that completely.

Turning quickly on his heel, he took the wheel back in his hands. "Let's go then! No use standing around, we've got work to do." He was elated now, on a high from getting that close to her.

It took Hikari a few more moments to recover, and when she did gather her senses enough to move she still found herself unable to do so with any sort of grace. It was a good thing that she had already committed to being taken away by another…any more of that and she was sure to reveal herself to the Captain. And he couldn't know of her feelings; they had to at least part on good terms. Of course, leaving him for his enemy wasn't exactly good, but at least he wouldn't hate her. She would always be his best friend and nothing less…and nothing more.

~*~

Three days later the ship was passing by that familiar island. Takeru make sure to give it a wide berth, as he was afraid that the woman would know it was him even from so far away. She had not demonstrated her power to him, but he knew that it could be limitless and he did not wish to take any chances. Call him paranoid, but she had left him with a distinct warning. He did not wish to end up as a trophy on her wall…he had more of a destiny than that.

The fourth day of their journey was drawing to a close, they would be approaching sight of the island the next day, and Takeru was in his quarters pouring over exactly how things were going to happen. They needed all of the crew for this one, with the exception of a handful that would remain on the ship to ensure a speedy getaway. They would split into three groups, he leading one, and Iori and the Cook leading the other two. The Doctor would remain on the ship for anyone who should come back with an injury; the island was not called 'Veneno' for no reason. The fortified town was not huge, but it boasted one of the best protected treasuries on the continent; and one still had to get passed the perimeter that was set up around the city. The wall, for whatever reason, did not go all the way around, but the open section was in the back which would make things that much more difficult. But he knew they could do it. A crew this size had never attempted a raid before, and he would be successful. Then he would pass into legend on the seas, and Hikari would _have_ to remember him wherever she went.

At this point where his thoughts unconsciously shifted towards the girl he heard the door click open. He did not have to turn for he knew it was her; her footsteps were soft as she shut the door behind her. She did not move beyond the door, and he knew she was watching him. This was not the first time she had done this; usually, after a few moments, she would shuffle into her mattress on the floor and he would eventually follow suit and go to bed.

But this time was different. Instead of going to bed Hikari crossed the room to where he sat. Her heart was pounding within her chest; she was going to tell him. She was going to tell him that this final week and a half would most likely be the last they saw of each other. It was killing her inside; more that she thought it would. But it had to be done. It had to be done before anymore damage could be inflicted; before he could instil any more hope into her heart.

Takeru had grown rigid in his seat, knowing that the pattern had changed. He could feel her presence as she stood beside him; she seemed to give off a heat of her own. Or perhaps he was just overly conscious of her presence. He sat there, pretending not to acknowledge her, but he knew that his ruse was up; she knew he was paying very close attention to her. But he would wait for her to speak.

A few more moments of the silence lingered, until it was too much for her to handle. "I'm leaving." She finally stated, a great pressure lifting from her as she spoke those two words.

Takeru was a little confused, and he refused to allow himself to believe that she meant the ship entirely, though he would miss her presence in his room. "I don't know how much room there is down there, but I suppose you're more than welcome to find a spot to sleep." He was trying to speak smoothly, but without the distraction of the rest of the crew it was difficult.

Hikari swallowed hard. "No, I…" Closing her eyes she took a deep breath, "I'm leaving the ship. The next time we go to Verra," she almost couldn't say it. Her voice dropped down to a whisper, "Willis is coming to fetch me."

If there was any pain that he had felt before, it had never been so great as this. His heart crumpled to pieces within his chest and he suddenly felt as though he could not breathe. Leaving…she was leaving him…for a navy _dog_. And not just any dog, but the leader of the pack. How could she? He knew they had a history, but she did with him also. Could she really throw it all away? Could she forget him so easily?

It was at this point that his senses reached him again. No, it probably wasn't so easily. Hikari had left Willis, his proposal refused, in order to come search for him. After months of being together he had done nothing to assert any sort of claim over her, save for the one confrontation that he'd had with the Commander. Takeru knew it was his own fault, and he also knew that he couldn't do anything about it. No, not that he couldn't. That he _shouldn't_. He had no right. Whatever feelings they thought they had for each other, they weren't enough.

His silence was deafening. As his heart was breaking so was her own. Subconsciously she had still been holding on to the fact that he would want her to stay. There was something within her that believed, no matter how small it was, that he would try to stop her. That he would become enraged with her decision and bar her from ever going to Verra again. But he didn't. He didn't even move. Hikari felt the tears welling up in her eyes and she did her best to hold them back. What was the use in crying? This was what she wanted. She had given up on wanting him; he had shown her more than once that things were not as they had been. Or maybe they had never been like that at all; they had been so young, after all.

It was at this point that Hikari was finally able to let go of her love for him. She would always love him, yes, and he would always haunt her, but now she could be certain that she had done everything. She was not so brave as to put her heart completely on the line, but this was enough. His shutting her out was indication enough that he didn't want her around. And so she would leave him to his true love; the sea and treasure. He was a true pirate.

Without saying a word, Takeru stood from his chair and went to his bed. He did not look at the girl as he extinguished the light, and as darkness engulfed the room Hikari padded her way to her mattress. The two would lie awake that night, both pretending to be asleep for the other's sake. Neither would speak, and both resolved that this issue would be forgotten in the morning. The end was near, and there was nothing they could do about it.

~*~

From a small stool in the corner of her hut, the old woman watched the tiny flame that was in the hearth before her. Her deep, seafoam eyes were filled with sadness as she watched, her heart becoming heavy. The flame was almost gone now; it was barely anything more than a few glowing coals. Her power was waning, and there was none who could help her now. As the light of the fire went out so her hope dimmed with it; perhaps this boy had not been so promising as she'd thought. It seemed that history was meant to repeat itself; an ever vicious cycle that she could not escape from. The old woman could only desperately hope that things would be different the next time around.

That is, if this 'next time' ever comes.

~*~

*_Veneno_ is Spanish for 'poison'.

Calmer of the Storm: Evil? Haha…I make you guys wait so long and I give you this! So how the heck is it gonna work out now? Seriously, if anyone has a guess I would love to hear it. I always think I'm being sneaky but I always get figured out…lol.

Let me know what you think!


	12. Poison

Calmer of the Storm: Alright. So either no one's figured me out yet or no one is caring to guess. Haha. And I know you people are reading my story…I can see the stats. Anyways…not many chapters left. This one, then the next one (which is already written and has been for a while) and then an epilogue or something. MAYBE. It really depends on you guys.

~*~

_Chapter Eleven: Poison_

The day that followed was easier to get through than Hikari had originally anticipated. The fact that they were now quite near to the island had everyone focused in a way that she had not seen before. This sense of duty and achievement was not something that she had expected; she was beginning to wonder how they ever got anything done at all. But she realised that, when they all had a like-minded goal, they could work together fairly well. It also didn't hurt that there was a pot of gold at the end of all of this.

Having never been on a raid before, Hikari wasn't quite sure what to expect. She always wondered how such a large ship would be hidden; it was like on the other island where their coming had been anticipated. If the ship was seen, things could prove to be a little more difficult. But how could it _not_ be seen? Perhaps that was just one of those things with being a pirate; one of those things she would never understand. Sure enough, however, the ship was expertly steered into a small alcove; one on the far side of the island and away from the village. Iori had briefed her on the surrounding area earlier in the morning, when the rest of the crew had been put to work. According to him most of the island was uninhabitable and the only real village that stood was closer to the coast on the other side. They would have to be wary of rogue homesteads on their way through, but the men had been confident that things would go well.

With the ship in place, the men poured into the rowboats and into the water. She had been packed away on the first ship with the clear instructions that she was to remain at Takeru's side at all times and was never to leave his sight. Turning back Hikari saw the multitude of Pirates that were clambering onto the boats; she didn't recall there having been this many before. Perhaps there were more places for a pirate to hide than she'd thought, especially out at sea.

Once in the water, the ships broke off into groups. The Cook was to lead the preliminary raid; he was a man who loved danger and those who went with him were men whose mental health was questionable. But they were men of brute strength and courage; they would serve as the decoy. When the local people were drawn out of their city, the other two groups would set in. The plan was seamless, barring any unforeseen hitches.

The girl's gaze drifted to the man who was at the bow of the boat. He stood facing the land, his figure rather imposing against the landscape. Just beyond the top of his collar she could see the tip of the scar he bore; the spot where it turned from its path up his arm to travel down and across his back. The sun lit his brilliant hair in an ethereal way, and standing there with his regal cloak he looked very much like a king on the seas. He was dressed much more finely than the rest of the crew, as always, as he was captain. Even in casual work he wore fine linens and jewel-encrusted collars. But today he was dressed as a true captain, though he lacked the stereotypical hat. Apparently, Iori had told her once, it had been too much for him.

The boat ride passed in general silence, though the feeling of anticipation was tangible in the air. Hikari didn't quite understand it; the way it looked, these men were heading to their deaths. How could they be excited about that? Then again, she supposed that she was also. But she hadn't been willing to remain behind in the ship. Yes, she had decided to put her love for the man standing on the bow behind her. But that didn't mean she didn't still care for him, and it certainly didn't mean she wouldn't fret for his life each second he was away.

As soon as the boat ran aground the men were out, and Hikari followed suit. The Captain hung back a little, placing himself at her side. "Follow closely." She knew that already, but this time he held something out for her. "Use it if we get into a skirmish. If things get bad, use it and run."

Reaching out she grabbed the pistol from him; she'd learned how to use one during her first year on the seas.

~*~

The trek towards the main village actually went rather uninhibited. The island was quiet; wild, but quiet. Every now and then they would pass by what seemed to be something like farmland, but the crew was stealthy enough that they all managed to sneak through without being noticed. There had been nothing in the way of warning signals from the other two groups, and there was no gunfire that rang in the distance. Things were moving smoothly.

By the time they reached the village, the sun had gone down. The plan was to get in and out quickly, for they still had to get back to the ship. It was the one drawback to the plan; the long trek back. But if things went well the pursuit would be minimal, with most of them tied up at the front gate. Takeru and his men were not needless killers, but detaining the locals was certainly not out of the question.

The village was bigger than Hikari had imagined, and it was centred around a particular looking stone structure. It was massive and hard to miss, almost like a mausoleum of sorts. The stone was ornately decorated and carved; she could see it from that far back. The girl could only imagine how impressive it was up close. However, they were not here to admire the architecture.

The night would have been peaceful, had it not been for the raid. The assault on the northern front of the village had already begun; gunshots marred the silence and the shouting was getting louder. Hikari tried not to think about what was going on; it was inevitable that there would be faces among the crew that she would never see again. The question was, who would it be?

"Iori's already inside. His team has already taken care of the perimeter guard. We should get in before they realise that this is not just a one-tiered assault." Captain Scar was out in full force now. He was the first to break from the cover of the bushes.

Apparently, however, the entire guard had _not _been taken care of. Takeru spun quickly as he heard the shouts of a man that was not his own, most likely to call reinforcements to the back. The man was dead before he could finish his rallying call; Scar was deathly fast with a gun. The other two were put down just as quickly, but they knew that taking this slowly was not an option.

Takeru moved his team through the village as though he had seen it before. Iori had led in a team of scouts and had discretely marked a trail for everyone else to follow. Hikari hadn't noticed it herself, until she saw that Takeru would pause only for a second at each crossroad, then upon apparently spotting something he would move decidedly in a single direction without ever having to direct any of his men elsewhere. He really had thought things through.

It was not long before the band of thieves reached a small entrance to the stone structure in the centre. There was no doubt that Iori was already inside, and that the treasure was also. Takeru went in first, for he was captain, and the rest filed into the tunnel after him. How Iori had found this place, Hikari would never know.

Again they weaved through pathways, these ones underground. It was after a few moments that they reached another door, and without much difficulty Takeru pried it open. On the other side was a sight to behold.

It was a circular room, based around an ornately decorated fountain that contained a natural spring. The water pooled in the centre and flowed effortlessly down through the middle of the room, dividing it in half, and out beneath the western wall. Upon closer inspection it would seem as though the pool went on forever; its pristine waters looked as though they had not been touched by anything in centuries.

The most spectacular thing, however, was the mountain of treasure that lined the northern wall. In older times it looked as though it might have been organised; the beginnings of order were well established around the outer walls of the room. But through time it seemed as though the treasure had just gotten too much, and the locals had not bothered to do anything with it. And so it merely accumulated in piles. It looked more like a pirate's horde than anything; so out of place in the neatly designed structure.

"Bounty from all the ships they've captured, no doubt. They never go out…others only come in." Takeru spoke finally, his eyes taking in the sights before him.

"Found a few things to support your theory, Captain. I'd recognise Brighton's stuff anywhere. Should have known that this is where he'd disappeared to. Guess this was his last voyage." It was Iori who had spoken, who suddenly appeared from the other side of a particularly large mountain of gold artefacts.

Scar smiled. "Well, this'll be just another thing that I best him on. Now, let's get this over with quickly. With this much to horde I doubt they'd mind if we reclaimed some pirate belongings."

And so they set out to work. They had little time, and it was a matter of quickly finding the things that would be of most value. Primarily the pirates searched for things that they fancied themselves; no sense in doing things for the sake of other people.

Hikari, however, merely picked up everything that was within her reach. Takeru hadn't been kidding when he said she could be a pack mule; she'd been given one of the biggest bags. It was a good thing she had been working on ships for some time now, or else her otherwise frail body would not have been able to handle it. But there was nothing here that she wanted, no matter how beautiful the jewellery was. When this was all over and she was with Willis again, she didn't want anything tangible to remind her of this experience. She expected that she would marry him, and there was no sense in leaving things that would only bring up the past. It wouldn't be fair to him to only ever be a replacement. Perhaps, if she truly left it all behind, she could find something within her to love him with. Something that had not already been stolen; by a pirate, no less.

The plan was moving along perfectly. No one had suspected that things could be happening elsewhere besides the front gates and had thus not caught them. Not a lot of time had passed, but Takeru had deemed the treasure to be enough. The trunks that they had brought had been filled, and if they got out as easily as they had gotten in they would be able to make their way to the ship without much worry about being laden down with too much stuff.

"Alright men, that should do it. We wouldn't want to overstay our welcome. But it's good to know that this is all here; we'll have to make a trip back someday." The grin on his face was echoed by the faces of the others, along with a few grunts of approval.

Though they were only beginning to exit the chamber, the pirates were on a high. They had pulled this off effortlessly; so much for the stories of no return! They attributed the smashing victory to their captain, and there would be a big celebration on the ship when they got back. Takeru knew he would need it; he would be able to drown out the thoughts of what was to come in a short while. Perhaps he could drink enough to put him out for a few days; it would be easier that way.

Takeru had been the first to head back through the tunnel, carrying only a small bag for himself. He was the captain, after all; he didn't have to do any of this work. He was merely a supervisor. Iori and Hikari would be the last ones through, though they still had yet to make it across the dividing stream.

Just as they were about to halfway between the stream and the mouth of the tunnel, a strange sound started to make its way through the chamber. Hikari couldn't be sure where it was coming from; it seemed to be everywhere. It was a strange rattling sound, as if someone had pulled out an instrument. But she didn't recall hearing anything of the sort before…perhaps she hadn't been paying close enough attention.

"Hey, Iori, do you hear-"

"Snakes!" Iori shouted, the fear evident across his face.

It wasn't that Hikari was afraid of snakes. Sure, she didn't like them, but she didn't run and scream with fear when she saw them. Being on a pirate ship, one saw enough disgusting little creatures that a few snakes would have no effect.

But this was not just 'a few snakes'. And they were not the kind that usually stowed away on ships, either. Where they had come from, Hikari had no idea. All she was aware of was that Iori had suddenly grabbed her arm and they were running towards the entrance.

The snakes were everywhere. They were pouring into the chamber as a rate that should not have been physically possible. It was as if they had stumbled across a nest and they were now seeking revenge. The sakes, all colours and sizes, appeared from every nook and cranny that was in the floor and walls. As they did so the rattling got louder, and Iori's pace more urgent.

"Get out as fast as you can…don't get near them! They are the island's namesake!" Iori shouted frantically, calling to those in front of him.

The men needed no prodding. Hikari dropped her back of loot simply because she was more afraid for her life than anything, but saw that no one else did. Were they so wrapped up in the idea of fortune that not even a speedy getaway could compare? Well, she supposed they _were_ pirates. They could do whatever they wanted. This would not be her life for much longer.

The crew was lucky to get out of the chamber unscathed. They were not so quiet now, however, and once they reached the other side, there was a definite fear that they had been discovered. Takeru opened the door on the other end of the tunnel and looked around. He could still hear shouting and gunshots; that was a good sign. But it was considerably less than before, which told him that they had little time.

"Let's go. The others will be leaving soon too." They couldn't risk a signal, so they had merely set out a strict time frame.

They were almost out of the village when Takeru suddenly stopped. Just as he did so an arrow came from seemingly out of nowhere and landed in the very spot he would have been if he'd taken one more step. Even in the darkness he noticed that the arrowhead had been dipped in a liquid and there was no doubt in his mind that it was poison. The others stopped behind him.

"The snakes are smart, you know. Don't like people takin' their treasure. They told us you were here. Sneaky, but not always smart." A face appeared on the tops of one of the buildings, the body behind it crouched in an attack position.

Takeru knew he couldn't say anything, and suspected that they were surrounded. All he had to do now was get them out safely.

"Nowhere to go now. You stay here, just like all the others. They think they're smart too, but everyone's the same in the end. Stupid."

The Captain was tense, and the crew was awaiting his command. A single move from him and they would spring to action. It was at this point that all thoughts of treasure were all but banished from their minds; it was all about getting out alive now. No pirate was _that_ stupid.

Takeru surveyed the area; the man that was speaking to them was not alone. He couldn't see the others, but he was well enough versed in the art of battle to know that one wouldn't taunt without reason. They were surrounded. But the forest was close; he doubted that anyone had gotten this far before. The man didn't seem overly phased by their intrusion, but he could hear the mirth in his voice that said they'd gotten far…but that they would get no father. Takeru would have to prove him wrong on that front as well.

"We will make this quick. Just-"

The man was cut short by a shot from Captain Scar's pistol, and the rest of the crew jumped to action. Iori and his team were long-range specialists, and immediately moved to pinpoint the rest of the warriors on the roof tops. It all happened so quickly that Hikari wasn't even sure what was going on. She had been in the middle of a fight with wild animals before, but never other people. As the battle raged around her she found herself not really knowing what to do. In all her time on a pirate ship she had managed to avoid such battles; she had never remained on a ship for as long as she had this one, for obvious reasons. The pistol in her hand was ready, but she was not certain that she could actually fire it _at _someone with the intent to kill. Aiming at empty bottles was a different thing entirely.

But she knew she had to do something. As it stood right now, she was exactly what Takeru had feared. Dead weight. They needed every man they could get, and she would do her best to measure up. So she fired her first shot in the direction of one of their attackers, hoping that maybe it wouldn't kill them. She didn't stick around long enough to find out.

Takeru was doing rather well, all things considered. He trusted his men, and he had to assume that Iori was going to take care of the archers that were positioned on the roof. He was working at making a clear path to the forest that would leave them with the least amount of followers, but once they were in the trees he hoped they would have an advantage. He could see some of the men still guarding their gold, but he didn't care. If that's what made them fight, then so be it. If this was the place for him to start losing crew members, at least he would get out alive. And that was all that mattered.

Except…not quite. There was at least one other life that he was worried about. His blue eyes were constantly searching the mayhem for her; he couldn't lose sight of her. If there was one person in this world that he would die for, it was her. In that moment Captain Scar had been momentarily pushed aside and Takeru had once again taken over. Whether this would truly be the death of him or not was yet to be seen.

Another shot rang out from Hikari's pistol, and she knew she was getting low on ammo. She hadn't been given extra rounds and she assumed that no one had thought a battle would rage on for this long. She was beginning to grow nervous; from what she could see, things were not changing. It meant that they weren't losing, but they weren't winning either. She shot at another before darting around the corner of one of the huts, taking the moment to catch her breath. They _were_ closer to the forest, but what would they do when they got there? The battle was not yet over.

It was at that point that she saw movement above her, though she saw that the archer had not seen her yet. Word had spread through them to be wary of the arrows; they were laced with poison, likely from the snakes that had swarmed them earlier. The archer was alone, from what she could tell, but no one else had seen him. Raising her pistol she decided that this was the time; she would have to do it. He was aiming directly at Iori, and she wasn't going to let him die. The seconds that followed were long and agonising, but she made the decision to pull the trigger and closed her eyes.

The soft click of the empty barrel told her that there were no bullets left. Knowing that there was now no way to stop him, she ran out to warn the man who was his target.

"Iori! Above you!"

The man whipped around just in time to see that the archer had changed his targets and had let his arrow fly. Hikari was quite unaware of this until a few seconds later when she felt a severe pang in the right side of her middle back. The arrowhead tore through flesh and imbedded itself into muscle; it would not come out easily. She could not feel the effects of the poison, but she knew it was there, and this was enough to start a burning sensation.

With a shot of Iori's pistol the archer was dead, but Hikari had collapsed.

There was now nothing that could stop Captain Scar. The young man could only watch with horror as the events unfolded before him; he had drifted much too far from the girl to be of any help. But he knew that this was it; this was her death. She needed medical attention immediately, and the doctor was back on the ship. He would get her there. He would save her.

What happened next was a bit of a blur for them both. Adrenaline took a complete hold of him, and Hikari was in such a daze that she didn't even know which way was up. Perhaps it was an effect of the poison, or maybe it was just her body reacting to the shock of being hit. Their Captain's distress seemed to give the crew strength and they fought with newfound vigour. Takeru battled his way to the girl, now brandishing a sword as well as his pistol. It was only moments later but it felt like ages that she was in his arms and he had picked her up off the ground. Breaking the arrow so that it was not sticking out so much he decided that it was time to flee. He didn't care that Captain Scar might go down in history for being afraid; at least Hikari would live.

The crew saw their captain's actions and decided to follow suit. The retreat went surprisingly easy, almost as if the people of the village understood the gravity of the situation and were holding back. But that couldn't be; this was a village of people bent only on death.

Takeru didn't stick around to thank them, if it really _was _the case.

~*~

Back on the ship things had been quiet. The Cook and his crew had made it back, most of them only with minor injuries despite the major assault. One of the men had been poisoned by an arrow and had not survived the trip back to the ship, but his body had been weak to begin with. They would mourn his passing in the traditional pirate way.

When the Captain and those who were with him finally arrived, things started to change. The blond couldn't get there fast enough, and when he finally set foot on the deck he looked very much like a lost little boy and not at all like Captain Scar. He rushed her into the infirmary, gently placing her onto the table. The Doctor, who had been on the deck, came in behind him.

"Sh-she's been hit. An arrow…it got her." He stammered, panic gripping him in a way it never had before.

The look on the Doctor's face was not good; he had heard what had happened the other crew member. He felt that telling Takeru about this was not the best idea right now. He would do what he could, but he would promise nothing.

"Let's get the arrow out, at least. Then we'll see about that poison."

Takeru could barely watch as the arrow was wrenched from the girl's back; the blood poured from the newly opened wound as there was now nothing to obstruct its flow. He had seen blood before but the sight of hers made him sick and he almost wanted to leave. But he knew he couldn't; he had to be there for her.

It seemed like hours when the Doctor was finished sewing her up, and when he was finished he stepped back as if to admire his work. But the look on his face was grim.

"H-how is she? She's going to be alright…isn't she?" His voice was pleading and desperate.

The Doctor looked up to the man who had become his captain, and saw once more only the face of the boy that they had kidnapped for ransom all those years ago. There was no trace of Captain Scar left, but he knew that, after this was over, it would be the other way around. The boy would disappear forever.

Breathing in a deep sigh, he ran a hand through his thinning hair. "I'm sorry, lad. She ain't gonna live through the night."


	13. Hope and Light

Calmer of the Storm: Alright…this is the last chapter. I can say right now that some of you are going to be angry at me for it, as it is a little open ended. If there is enough demand I MAY right an epilogue, but it really depends on you guys. As far as I'm concerned, the story is finished.

And so I would like to say thanks to you all; firstly to those who reviewed. Obviously reviews aren't everything, but they do make me feel happy. If it weren't for you guys, I probably wouldn't have continued on with the story. And thanks to all who fav'd and read the story; I really appreciate you taking your time to enjoy the story.

So there you have it! The last chapter of my (most likely) last huge story!

~*~

_Chapter Twelve: Hope and Light_

Her breathing was laboured and her brow was covered in sweat. Takeru looked down upon the face of the woman he loved…the face of the woman he might never see full of life again. Her skin had drained of all colour and she was now paler than a ghost in the moonlight. As Captain Scar he had faced many things; stared death in the face more than a few times. But never in his life had he ever been so afraid like he was now.

In a matter of mere hours she had gone from bad to worse; in the first stages she had writhed in pain, which had been heart-wrenching enough. But now she lay in silence, standing only just this side of death's door.

He already knew he was losing her. He already knew that, once this one last mission was over, she would be going home. She hadn't informed her brother of anything yet, and now it was probably a good thing, because it looked like she wasn't going to be going home at all. But she had made her decision before they set out. In that moonlight bathed moment that seemed so long ago now, Takeru knew that the two things he loved…this woman and the sea…could never work together. They were two desires that warred within him, two rabbits to chase. And when one chased two rabbits, neither was caught. Takeru had chosen his rabbit to chase even if he had been forced in that direction by the hands of fate.

But seeing her there lying before him on the brink of death, he wasn't so sure anymore. His mind went back to that night when their lives had been so drastically changed. The only thing that had been running through his mind was that he had to protect her. Seeing her within the vice-grip of a man four times her size had caused his young heart to beat furiously within his chest and his vision to swim. He had left with the satisfaction, despite his own circumstances, of knowing that she was going to be okay. He had seen her running across the field alone and not followed by any of their captors. In everything that he was, through Captain Scar and right down to the very depths of his soul, Takeru knew that he could never truly live without her. Knowing that she would one day end up in the arms of another man had not seemed so difficult at the time…but now, for some reason, it was different. Maybe it just hadn't sunk in before. She had asked to go on one last venture with him, and he had more readily agreed then than ever before. Maybe it was because he knew he could drag it out; maybe he could prove something to her. And now, because of that decision, she was going to die.

In the little make-shift infirmary that was in the heart of the ship, Takeru suddenly lost all of him that was Captain Scar. In front of the Doctor he allowed himself to become the boy he had been during those dark first few weeks of his capture; forsaken and void of hope. His light was fading…the reality of it was just too striking to ignore.

The Doctor pulled the cloth from her forehead in order to re-soak it, for her burning skin had rendered it useless. He watched his captain with a sombre expression, knowing that it would be hard for him when the girl passed on.

"Is she…suffering?" Came the broken voice.

A sigh escaped the doctor's lips; he knew this would be difficult. But if there was one thing the boy knew how to do, it was being able to tell a liar. "Very much."

Takeru's head sunk into his hands. "It's all my fault. If I hadn't let her come…if I had persuaded her to stay…"

The Doctor replaced the cloth on her forehead, "Don't blame yerself, sonny. Ain't gonna do ya much good 't all."

There was no response, but the Doctor knew the boy wasn't going to let it go.

"If only this, if you 'ad just done that…iss never gonna end, boy. So don' wallow in what ya coulda done, 'cause it ain't worth it."

Takeru clenched his fist. "But I could have stopped this. I could have-"

He was cut off after a sharp pain on the side of his head. Incredulously he looked up towards the Doctor, who was now clearly very frustrated.

"Nothin'. You coulda nothin'. If ya could see the future, mebey, but…" He allowed his words to trail off as he saw a sudden spark flash through the boy's eye; some sort of recollection.

Takeru swallowed hard, those words from a while ago ringing through his ears. _'I will help you in your time of greatest need, boy'_

The Captain suddenly scrambled to his feet. "The witch. We're going to see the witch."

The Doctor's eyes widened suddenly, not knowing where this decision had come from. Even now Takeru had told the rest of his crew nothing of what had passed between him and the old woman. All they knew was that he had come out of there very angry, but also very much alive.

"Now what in the blazes would bring _that_ on?" The Doctor was nervous about this, though Takeru did not know the exact reason.

"She said she'd help me in my greatest time of need."

The Doctor knew a thing or two about the witch. He knew there were always strings attached. "How do ya know this is that time?"

Takeru clenched his jaw. "It doesn't matter. I don't care, maybe it's not. But I have to try."

"Ya could lose everythin, boy."

"I'm about to lose it all now!"

A moment of heated silence passed between the two, but eventually the older man nodded his head. Takeru was angry, though the Doctor had to admit, it was better than moping. Moping people didn't get anything done.

With that Takeru stood from his stool and stormed out of the infirmary, taking his fury and letting it out on the crew. They would be working hard tonight, that was for certain. None of them would rest. But they would do it for the captain that they followed so loyally. For he whom they would lay down their lives, giving up one night of sleep wouldn't be too much of a sacrifice.

~*~

Two days. It had taken two days to reach _L'isola di Vita_, and during those two days Hikari only got worse. When Takeru wasn't manning the helm of the ship he was at her side, sleeping less than even the rest of his crew did. It was painful to watch her there, her body succumbing to the pulls of the poison. Every once and a while she would convulse as it reached new thresholds within her body, and he could feel his heart dying along with her. If he lost her now, Takeru knew he would lose it all. Ending his life had never been something he had condoned, but he knew what he would become. Takeru would forever be dead, and Captain Scar would take over. And it would be a Captain Scar without the rationality and the light that drove Takeru; a most terrifying thing indeed.

The ship was run aground again, the tide low as it had been the first time they'd come. The girl was placed onto a stretcher and a select few members of the crew accompanied her. The Cook did not venture out, though his brother did, for he feared that if things went ill with their captain it would be even worse for him. This fear would have not stayed his hand, however, had Takeru not insisted he remain behind. Someone needed to lead the crew, even if only for a short while. The Doctor went to keep an eye on Hikari, though he knew there was little he could do for her now save for trying to ease her passing.

Time could not have passed slower for Takeru. If he'd thought that the previous trip up this mountain had been long, this was an eternity. Time was something that they did not have, if they wanted Hikari to live. As the seconds ticked by her life slowly ebbed from her body. Hikari was a fighter, but her body had never been very strong. Against the poison she would not win. It was a miracle that she had lasted even this long. This was their last chance…their last hope. Takeru knew that he would give up everything for this girl, which was perhaps what he was about to do. He would ask the witch to give him a chance to tell the girl he loved her, and then he would allow her to do with him as he pleased. Perhaps she would take cloak that he wore as a trophy to add to her collection, for he wore no distinguishing rings and he had no gauntlets. No matter how much of a pirate he had become, he knew that Hikari had to live. Even if it meant living with Willis…at least she would get what she deserved.

When they reached the hut, Takeru signalled for the men to put the stretcher down. "I'll take her from here." He said quietly. The uncertainty showed through his quivering voice, and he did not care to hide it. He was not sure if either of them would make it out of this alive, but he had to try.

"Captain…" Iori took a step forwards as his friend began gathering the girl up in his arms.

Cradling Hikari against his chest, Takeru looked to his first mate. "It'll be alright. If something seems to be going wrong, get everyone out of here. You'll have to succeed me eventually, 'cause we all know that the old fogey won't want to lead the crew for very long." He was speaking of the Cook, of course.

Iori only sighed, shaking his head. The two shared a glance and Takeru began the last few steps towards the forsaken-looking hut.

As he stepped inside he saw that not much had changed, right down to the dark clad figure in the corner. On his way over Takeru had run through a list of things to say in his mind, but they escaped him now and his throat was dry. She knew he was here, he had not been quiet in his entrance, and yet she said nothing.

Finally it was too much for him. "Please…I…I've come for help."

The figure finally stirred, as if waking from sleep. "I said to only come at your time of greatest need." The way she spoke indicated to him that he had made a mistake; that this was not in fact his time of greatest need. To think that things could get worse than this…he didn't even want to think about it. But his mind went quickly to the other indication of her words; now it was over for him.

"Take me, then, but save the girl. She is an innocent party. Allow for her to live and I swear to you I'll do whatever you ask of me."

The woman sat up a little straighter on her stool, then slowly turned around. Her green eyes met his blue ones and for a moment neither of them moved. Takeru had resigned himself to doing whatever it took; to giving whatever of himself he had to in order to save the delicate girl that was in his arms.

Finally, the woman's face softened. In that moment she suddenly looked very tired and very…old. One might have gone so far as to say that she had even smiled. Takeru was not sure what to make of this sudden change of demeanour, finding himself more nervous than he would have if she had turned on him.

"I shall do as you ask. There is no need for anything further, though, for I see that you have come to realise the importance of the girl you carry. She who is more valuable to you than your own life…that is a greater treasure than what man can ever find."

With this the woman stood, motioning for him to place the girl down on a mat that he had not noticed was spread out on the floor. Had it even been there before? He wasn't so sure.

As he followed her directions Takeru couldn't help but feel a little cheated. This was the great treasure that so many had died to seek? The love of a woman was precious, he knew that now, but to be led to believe that it was 'power and riches beyond that of what any mortal man could comprehend'? It was just a little too much for him.

He was standing back now as the older woman fed Hikari a strange smelling solvent. Though nothing had been said she chuckled while placing a cold cloth across the girl's head. "You, dear boy, really are a pirate through and through."

Takeru stared at the woman with an incredulous look; there was no way she could know what he had been thinking.

"You think I can't see what is written all over your heart? The thoughts of the mind are mostly silent, but it the heart that screams loudest. Why do you think men are so easy to overtake? Women are too, of course, but it is only young men that come seeking. And it is much more difficult to deceive a woman when you yourself are one." She was rambling, he figured. But it was making him nervous.

She did not speak for another while longer, doing things to Hikari that looked normal and routine. But he thought he noticed the colour returning to her cheeks, though it could very well have been the dim lighting in the room.

Finally the woman stood. "She will not die now."

Relief flooded through the young man like nothing he had ever felt before. He felt his knees become weak and he almost fell to the ground, except that the woman did not look so happy.

"But she will not live, either. Not with only this treatment."

At this, Takeru felt himself becoming angry. "You said you could help me! You said you could save her, you are supposed to be the most powerful woman in the world! How can you tell me these things, how can she not die and not live at the same time?"

"She will simply remain in this state until her time is up, be it old age or other disease."

Takeru felt his knees give way and he fell to the ground. To never have Hikari well again…to see her forever in this state. He would never be able to tell her he loved her, regardless of whether she wanted him or not. Now he would never know. He cursed the hope that had been built up in the last few seconds; it came crashing down on him fiercer than any tidal wave he had ever seen. She may as well have died, if this was to be her fate.

The woman watched him, her heart breaking at the despair that took the boy. To live without his light…it would not be easy. She did not want to think of the man that he would become. She knew what it was like to live without hope; to dwell in a place forever alone while despair consumed and tormented. It was not a life she had chosen for herself. Light without hope was simply despair, though it was all consuming and severely incapacitating. She had been weak, secluding herself and seeking to fulfill that hole with anything and everything. The ability to see was a wonderful thing, if one had a filter. But her filter had been lost long ago. He had turned her away for other things, and it had quickly been his end. But for hope to live without light…the darkness would consume him, turning him into a creature that would surpass anything else, and he truly would become the most fearsome pirate to sail the seas. It would not be a pretty sight, she knew, and she could see that he would meet his end in the worst possible way. She was old and brittle now, though, and details were not so forthcoming. But she had not cared to look in quite a very long time now. At least, not since the boy had first come to her.

"There is hope, dear boy, you just need to find it. You once asked me what treasure I guarded and if I would give it to you. I will tell you what I guard and I will give you what you truly seek, for your eyes have been opened."

Takeru was uncertain as to what this had to do with Hikari and helping her. If there was hope, he was sure it was lost, wandering someplace he could not find it. But something told him to listen; perhaps he could at least walk out of here with something more than what she had already promised. If he couldn't have Hikari, maybe he could have what this woman had refused to give to so many others.

The woman sat down again, this time just above Hikari's head. Her eyes faded to a distant look as if she were seeing something in the far distant past.

"I have been around for far too long, clinging to something that is no longer mine to cling to." Her voice was soft and as cryptic as ever. Takeru knew better than to interrupt. Apparently time was not an issue now, seeing as Hikari would not die. His thoughts were bitter as he considered this, however, for it also meant that she would never again truly live.

"It is difficult, living in despair. It renders one utterly useless, taking away the will and the very ability to live. I found strength in stealing hope from others, though it was not lasting. That is where the stories come from, you know. I do not devour the hearts of men, I simply take their hope. While I do not kill them myself, I found ways to make it so that they would never truly wish to live again. There were few that escaped me, only those who were daft enough or clever enough to escape my advances."

Her eyes flickered to the present, resting on Takeru. "And then there was you, one who reminded me so much of the hope that fuelled me all those years ago. Those like me find it in many capacities, sometimes it is a friend or a brother…but many times it is a lover. I live with the memories of all those who have gone before me, and of all those who have supported them."

The woman stood again, rising as she had the first time he visited and going to the gauntlets. "These are all I have left. He was my hope, and I was the light that guided him. He was a fool, though, a pirate greedier than anything I had ever seen. The sea took him, in the end. The sea does not forgive those who do not respect it."

It was a sad story, but he was not certain what it had to do with him or Hikari. Unless she was telling him that he was the thing that would sustain her…that he would keep this immortal-looking woman alive.

Her eyes turned to him. "I thought about it, you know. I thought about forcing you to remain with me, to be the thing that kept me going. But I knew that if you existed, so did she." The woman motioned to Hikari. "We do not exist long without the other, for we cannot. But I'm sure you've already got that figured out."

The Captain clenched his jaw. "And yet you tell me that I must live without her again."

The woman smiled softly. "I said no such thing. Merely that the treatment I gave her would not be enough. Her body was meant for a power that I cling to, a power that must be passed on in order for her to live."

"Power? What kind of power?" The young man was thoroughly confused now.

"The power to read the hearts of men. Occasionally one can see into the future, depending on the strength of that heart. It is the power to drive away darkness and despair, but cannot do so alone. It is the power to bring light and life to all those who truly seek it, and even more so to those who deserve it."

His eyes were wide now; none of this made sense. And yet, at the same time it almost did. It would explain why she was so inexplicably compelling; why people searched long and hard and risked their lives for her. She did hold a power that was not attainable by pillaging and stealing, and yet it was only attainable by certain people. His eyes rested onto Hikari's sleeping form once more; she seemed to be that kind of person.

"What does this have to do with me?" He asked quietly, his eyes still fixed upon the girl.

"You are the thing that will sustain her. As long as you exist her power can be kept at bay. Others will seek it, as they realise what has taken place. There are those who know of my true power, just not its true secrets. These secrets must never be known. If it is found out that it is simply despair that can take her…" She looked at Takeru with pleading eyes, "You must be strong. You must not use it for your own gain. You must make sure that no harm ever comes to her." The woman was not so menacing now, her form reduced to that of an old and frail woman.

"Since I can remember Hikari has been the only thing I've truly lived for. When I thought she was gone from my life I allowed myself to become consumed by the pirate that they were turning me into. When I found her again I wanted nothing more than to take back what we had, yet I was much too stubborn. Now that I have stood on the brink of losing her, I know that I will fight with everything I am to keep that from happening again."

The old woman nodded after a moment, apparently satisfied by his answer. The conviction in his voice and in his heart was much too strong for her to ignore. As much as she wanted to cling to this last bit of life that she had in her with everything she had, it was time to let go. It was time to pass on the gift that had been passed to her so long ago. It was incredible how things came full circle…she just hoped that this boy had the brains about him to respect the sea. No one commanded it, though they liked to think that way. But she felt as though there was hope for him and a second chance for herself. Through Hikari and Takeru she would be allowed to live out the life that she had been meant to.

"Allow anything to happen to her, and I promise you the curse that will befall you will be greater than anything you can ever imagine." She became so dark and menacing in that moment, Takeru could only dumbly nod his head. He began wondering if maybe he should just lock Hikari up somewhere and never let anyone else near her…

Before he really knew what was going in, the woman had placed herself at Hikari's head once more. Her hands surrounded the girl's face, and she closed her eyes. What happened next was not something that he could ever describe, for there were no words for it. All he saw was a bright light as the two of them began to glow. It almost seemed as if they began to flicker in and out of existence, something that had him so afraid he didn't know what to do with himself. If he had been tricked…

The light then got so bright that he couldn't see what was going on, for he had to turn away. The old woman could feel the transfer of her power; the ebbing of her very life force as it drained from her and filled the void in the sleeping girl. Usually this was done through death and rebirth, but she had thrown things out of sequence. This was her punishment, to willingly have to give up her life in order to save the one that was to succeed her. Refusing to do so would have broken the chain, and there was no telling what could have happened if she had done that.

When it was done the old woman had only the strength to remove her hands from Hikari's head. A great sigh escaped her lips, and just before Takeru could thank her he watched as she began to fade away. At first he wasn't sure; he just noticed that there was sand piled around the spot where she was kneeling. But then he saw that her very body was turning into the sand, and he was suddenly very afraid. He hadn't expected this to happen! But before he could do anything, before he could try and save her, the last bit of her body disintegrated. A gust of wind, coming from the closed end of the house, blew through the room and caused the sand to disappear into nothing.

Takeru would have dwelled on this further were it not for the fact that Hikari had begun to stir. Immediately he rushed to her side, knowing that he had a lot of explaining to do. But for the moment he would remain quiet, for he was not sure the state that she would be in.

Hikari groaned, her head pounding and she felt as if she had been standing in front of a canon as it went off. Confusion washed over her features as she looked up into the face of Takeru, who was now cradling her head in his lap. She was about to ask what had happened when suddenly she remembered it all, but these memories were not her own. Realisation dawned on her and understanding filled her body. Somehow she knew what had been bestowed upon her, though she didn't know what that would come to look like. All she knew was that she needed Takeru, and there was no way she could leave him now.

Before she could do much else the Captain wrapped his arms around her, lifting her up to his chest. He held her like he had never held another before, knowing that he had gotten a second chance. If she would change her mind and remain with him, he knew he could be a better man. He would never be one that deserved her, but he knew now that he couldn't live without her. And if he thought he could, he now had an excuse not to.

Pulling away just enough so that he could see her face, Takeru smiled. In that moment he felt more peace than he had since that night that he had been first taken away from her.

"Takeru…" she whispered, lifting a hand to brush the locks of blonde hair that had fallen into his eyes.

The young man said nothing, and in response ducked his head so that he closed the gap between them, gently touching his lips to hers. No longer was he afraid of what she would do; as far as he knew he was losing her anyways. But he wasn't going to let her go without a fight anymore. He wasn't going to give her up to another man when he had every right to claim her for himself. When their lips met Takeru knew that things were right; that no matter how badly the government wanted his head, no matter how many crimes he had committed…this was where he belonged.

And Hikari wasn't thinking anything different. This was what she had dreamed of since seeing him again and even before that; since realising that she was in love with him. The kiss was simple but it did more for her heart than anything ever had. She knew that there was no going back now; no matter how much her brother begged and hunted she would not return to him. Willis was the furthest thing from her mind in that moment; that moment when things were finally as they were supposed to be.

Hikari could feel the anticipation behind the kiss as it was allowed to continue, and there was nothing she did to stop it. Takeru's grip around her tightened and she could feel as he did everything he could to get closer. His lips moved against hers with a deepening ferocity, though it was one that did not scare her.

There was no telling just where things could have gone, were it not for the sudden clanging of the beads at the entrance to the hut. A band of five pirates, led by the first mate Iori, came crashing into the room and effectively scaring the couple. The younger man's eyes fell on his Captain and his now-lover, shock and confusion, along with embarrassment, crossing his face.

"M-my apologies, Captain. There was a bright light and we weren't sure if everything was okay in here or not…"

Looking a little more than annoyed, Takeru sighed and allowed the girl to disentangle herself from his body. "And it took you this long to respond? Let's go, then. The others will be waiting." Hikari couldn't help but smile at his response; the red tinge to their captain's cheeks would not be lost on any of them.

"You're alright, then." Iori said, his eyes landing on the now-risen girl.

"Yes. More than alright, I should think." She cast a look to Takeru, who was just now exiting the hut.

"You still need us to make a detour for you?"

Hikari shook her head. "No, I think I'll be staying."

There was something in her voice that told him there was more to this than what they saw. There was no woman in the hut save for Hikari, though it was evident by the freshly extinguished fire that someone had been living here before. Whatever had happened he would have to get out of them later, when they had all had a good night's rest. Hikari still looked a little off, though he wouldn't question it. He just hoped that everyone would get a decent night's sleep, for the concept now seemed rather foreign to them all. It was at this point that Iori realised he was the last to leave the hut, and he did so in a hurry. He didn't know why, but there was something about the place that gave him the creeps. Hopefully they would never have to come back here again.

~*~


End file.
